House of the Rising Sun
by redheadclover
Summary: Leaving her life of privilege behind her to find a purpose for herself, a young ballerina from New Orleans turned sniper for a Speical Ops Unit with the army find herself along the front lines of war when she is called to be a new sniper for the infamous Easy Company and also finds that her eyes and affection are towards Easy's combat medic, (DOC X OC)
1. Chapter 1

**Camp Toccoa**

 **September 23rd, 1942**

I haven't been home in years, making me deprived and aching for the feel of the warm summer air, the smell of the gumbo from down the street at the local restaurant called Benny's, the sweet sounds of the trumpets and accordion that would float down the street and haunt the night like it was the melody of God himself. But being away for so long, being away from those haunting yet perfect scented images and past feelings were the only kinds of senses and memories that would really hold me together. At least, the parts of me that weren't shattered from all that I had to no longer hold onto.

I have been away from New Orleans for far too long.

This place, though I've been used to it for about a year now, it's nothing compared to home. I was not accustomed to the heat in the summer that seemed too humid and too dense for someone to live through the year by year. But we had to go through it, it was part of the deal of being in the army. Sometimes I would wake up from the bed and wonder how I ever made it this far into the army since I was part of some kind of rare group that weren't like the rest of the soldiers there at the training camp. It was brutal, far more brutal than the others because….well….I was one out of 10 females in the whole goddamn training camp.

We were a different breed that the army has never seen before.

At first, when I was enlisting myself into the army, they were really going to consider me as a member of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corp and make sure I was not going to get a weapon in my hand. But after they asked me to do some of the training procedures that they would ask he men before they were sworn in, and I went through with flying colors because of my ballet training and the flexibility and strength behind my arms and legs, I knew I changed their minds.

Really, all I wanted to do was get away from my life I thought I hated back at New Orleans, back with my mother and how she was still disappointed with me, but they were going to give me something more. The Captain, Captain Matthews of the Special Operations Unit that was going to be labeled as the Mamba Unit, was there for my evaluation saw that within me, he hired me on as one of his soldier within his regiment, other women came before and after me that were soldier worthy and not even close to being able to sit behind a desk and type up reports. For one, I just wanted to get out of my town and get try to forget, but this was far beyond what I had in mind.

To be a soldier.

I was trained in push ups and sit ups instead of the arabesque and coupé, running up and down hills instead of leaping back and forth along the hardwood floor of a studio, and then learning how to shoot a gun was the most intense of them all. The men at the camp were unconvinced of us keeping up with them, and yet we would prove them wrong time after time. Whether it was in push ups to see who would last before they would faint, or even who would shoot closest to the target without overshoot. I was the best at that, also going through the training in the woods without being seen of heard. It was a perfect being a female, knowing how to move better than the males and how to sneak in and out from a place and out of men's hands. They were starting to realize, both the privates that challenged us and myself mostly, and the officers who were holding our futures in the army within their hands, how much of an asset we were becoming for them.

At first, I thought it would make me feel a bit out of place and out of my own mind really to shoot a luger out in the air at a target in front of me, but I had reassurance from the Captain whom I was going to take orders from. Instantly, we were told that our first names were no longer going to be used, because of the massive delicate fact that we were still being looked down on from the others in the army. Having females in the army that were not behind a desk and not taking orders from men, that seemed too scandalous for others to really drink in. According to society, we were far too delicate, but according to us.

We were perfect for the job.

I trained in the Special Operations unit that they placed us in for a year, learning how to shoot first from a gun and then promoting me to working with a rifle. Out of all of the women they enlisted in the Specials Ops unit, which they called the Black Mamba Initiative, I was told had the best movement and the fastest on the squad. I had ballet training to thank for that, and they were training me to be more of a sniper than anything since I could get in and out of places without being seen or heard. I was stealth and strong, some of the men almost seeing me in a mother bear kind of way with the unit, which made me no longer think of myself as the graceful ballerina I was before.

I was fierce and a deadly force.

The army, my unit and the women I was working with, all of it was becoming my life now little by little, and I had no real reason to stop it or go back. I never once told my parents what I was doing, not even my sister and her little boy named Jasper that she had with her husband with their perfect life in New Orleans. I never felt as connected and into that family, so with the little pocket money I had left to my own and my spare job at the ballet studio, and I didn't turn back. I was now used to the bitter army food, running miles and miles a day, shutting guns and doing drills enough to make my own head feel scrambled. The muscles I had from ballet were morphing into muscles for running and fighting like a soldier, the flexibility stayed, and my head was being filled with tactics and plans beyond my own normal mind would take in.

Nothing else mattered to me, only of what I can do with my life from there on out and how I wanted it to play out. After at least a year of training and getting good to the point of them not knowing what to do with me, they made me 2nd Lieutenant without blinking twice and thought I was good for officer material.

But not yet.

They were still on the fence about women being in the army, and for them to have me be in charge of a group of men and be fine with it, that was almost suicide really on their part since they didn't know what I was going to do. I wanted to prove to them that I was worthy enough to lead, lead either males or females and not let anything or anyone gets in my way. I may not have been in command since the commander of the Unit was Captain Josephine from Oregon, a top upper lip leader who knew not to take any prisoners. It made me second in command, right after her and following her without any second guessing on my part. There were only 15 of us in the unit since the rest did not make the cut under Captain Matthews.

Our mission as the Black Mamba Unit was to grab any foreign information that would be needed for us to get close to victory. We were going to go behind enemy lines, which sounded like a cuisine mission.

Maybe that was why they chose women to do it.

* * *

"Lieutenant Bellerose, may I speak to you?" I looked back up from my bed where I was sitting, my mind coming again back to reality since I was zoning out. It was late into the morning in the barracks where we were staying, the rest of the girls were off training with Mathews now in the concept on communication and German dialect. I was more fluent in French since it was our natural second language in my family, German was not really needed for me. I was glad not to learn the language since it was going to be a bit more difficult for me to wrap my head around, so they made me the head translator for anything that involved the French language.

I was thinking of my home, back in New Orleans and how light it looked in the sunset. It was a pale yellow with white trim, a victorian mansion that was sitting on Saint Charles Avenue with a low black iron gate and a grand within the front where my mother planted and kept up to par. There was a large tree that hung in the front yard, big enough for me to reach out from my window and leap out to when I was in my rebellious stage and would escape from the house every once in awhile. It was a perfect house for the wealthy cotton-pickin' families that wouldn't dare to start waves or cause trouble. At least not out in the open.

Walking over to the door where I saw Captain Josephine, I moved my hair over from my eyes and cracked my knuckles a bit before taking out a deep breath. Sometimes as of late I was feeling like I had to be on the tip of my toes when I was talking with my Captain, not that she was a bad Captain. In fact, she was a good one, fair and just for all of us in the Black Mamba Unit to listen to and follow for guidance, not to mention she was a fierce fighter and could kill a man with her fingers alone. Recently, within the lat couple of weeks, we were wondering when we were going to be shipped out to Europe, or even the Pacific for that matter. So far, we were just waiting for the call and we were out of here. But the more as were waiting and just training left and right, the less optimistic we were getting about being able to help out with the war. Even I was still wrapping my head around me being in the middle of a war, almost thinking in the back of my head that we wouldn't go. it wasn't that I wasn't ready.

I was still a bit afraid that we were in a war in general.

"What is it, Captain?" I asked her now as we were standing in front of the barracks now. I saw how she stood there next to me, like the leader she truly was and how she was carrying herself even in front of all of the privates that were marching by us. We were a hot topic with the other companies and soldiers there at Camp Tacocoa since we started there we've been on everyone's lips and minds about why we were there, training with the men and learning how to shoot and fight like them with basic training. She had long brown hair that she kept tightly with her braid going down her back and her uniform precise, having us all feel like a failure right next to her.

"Captain Mathews just had a conversation with Colonel Sink," Captain Josephine explained to me with her cool tone as I eyed her now in suspicion.

"Colonel Sink? From the infantry division, ma'am?" I asked her no in wonder.

"Yes, apparently Sink has his eye on our unit and is maybe really considering bringing in our Special Ops unit to work under his command," She explained to me now, seeing her look out into the distance with her hands behind her back and having it a bit difficult for me to read what she was thinking on her face. She knew how to play a good face, whether or not she was under pressure.

"He's been the only known officer that has shown real interest in our unit, ma'am." I voiced to her.

"If that is the case, then Mathews will be promoted to Major and that might also leave you to be promoted to 1st Lieutenant since you're 18 months with the army is coming along soon," She said, finally looking over at me now with a small smile on her face. I considered her as a friend, nothing or less than that and I knew she was going to look out for the best in the other girls and me. None of us were under the ranking of Sergeant, which made us all a bit more on the superior scale with the men there.

"Thank you, Ma'am…I think," I said to her in an honest manner, hearing her chuckle in front of her as she motioned over to where I knew most of the office buildings were within the middle of Camp Toccoa.

"Sink also is trying to find a sniper instructor for some of his men within the 101st, and Mathews recommended you since you're quick good with the rifle," Captain Josephine explained to me now, having me shift a bit now and think about it for a moment. I was a good shot, compared to the others in the unit, but I knew I wasn't the best. There had to be other good snipers, if not the best kind of snipers within Camp Toccoa that were not me, so why was I a thought to Colonel Sink and in his eyesight.

"If you don't me asking, ma'am, why would Sink want me to be one of his instructors?" I asked her now in a polite tone since I wanted to hear her own opinion.

"He sees you as a true potential as a sniper within the army, don't you see yourself as that?" She asked me back, having me pause and think about it for a moment or two before I would even answer her. She wanted to see why I would doubt myself with something like this since we were a confident unit and never once should any kind of weakness in front of anyone, including the men. It was another kind of training that we had to go through, building up our confidence and our esteem to the point that literally thong would slow us down and underestimate us.

"I do, ma'am. But I also know there are better snipers that more appropriate for the job to teach others, ma'am." I said to her in all honesty.

"Sink sees a good amount of faith within our own unit that should be recognized, as does Captain Mathews and myself when it comes to you and how you are a leader for the others," Captain Josephine explained kindly to me as I saw her cross her arms in front of me, "But then again, I can always talk to Mathews and let him know you're no interested in showing the men how to really be a sniper instead of amateurs that we see them to be,"

That was the one part that would make me smile

* * *

I was not the biggest fan of smoking before I came to the army, but since I joined up and was getting more and more anxiety from thinking of home and how my family was doing, not to mention how the vigorous training that was happening in the army, it made me start to smoke every once in the blue moon when I needed it. Lord knows that day I needed a smoke.

It left me standing outside my barracks while the other girls were writing home and talking to each other now as I was still trying to think about how they wanted to hire me as one of the instructors for the rifle. I didn't feel qualified enough, such doubtful thing to think about, not to mention how I was still trying to adjust to the fact that I would be sent somewhere to fight in the war. I would wonder how my own parents would really think about that if they still had any idea where I was and if I was okay. My relatives could only lie to them for so long, and then the truth was going to come out and I would have to answer them for him.

I grabbed the smokes I knew I stored in my jacket, grabbing the carton and then pulling out a stick for me to place between my lips. I then echoed into my same pocket for my lighter that I grabbed on my second day at the camp from another soldier as a way of winning a bet that I can do more pushups than him. It was a bit of pride for me, and it was only my second day.

I lit the stick, inhaling it and feeling the smoke invade my lungs like it was a welcome home kind of feel for me as I then exhaled it through my lips and held the cigarette between my fingers. I hated how my brain was still rattled and trying to unwind from all that has happened to me with the past few years or so. Leaving my family, joining the army with small hopes that I would just be away from them and find my own kind of destiny which sounded insane, and hoping to find my own way in the world. But never did I think that I would be in this kind of lifestyle that also meant that I would even die from this.

I inhaled again, hearing some men walking by near me and having me look over to see who it would be. Of course, another round of privates walking along the grass now in their running attire. I assumed that they already came back down from running down Currahee mountain, a regular routine for all of the companies in the army there at the camp to do both in the morning and at night. Some of them did fine, others were pushed more than the regular. It looked the same with theses men who were all sweating and looking like they were about to be sick. I felt sorry for them really, yet I would d the same thing with my own unit from time to time. We've been down that road too, and I only wished for the best for those men. I really did.

Some of them were looking right a time a they were walking by, faces that were plenty of interest, curiosity, confusion in seeing me in a uniform, intrigue, and lastly, with a hint of wonder in their eyes. I looked at them back, saying nothing as I was inhaling again, hearing the door behind me that was at the barracks open up now and I looked to see who it was. It was Sergeant O'Neal, another you woman who was pretty good was being stealthy and was another good friend of mine. She was snarky, smart as a whip, and had a bit of an attitude when it came to others looking down at her.

"You smokin' out here again? Good grief, those things will kill you before we even see any kind of fighting." She avoided me as the men were still walking by and staring at the bath of us. I shrugged my shoulders then, not knowing what else to say to her as I exhaled through my lips.

"Best to get myself killed now, right?" I asked her nonchalantly, seeing her eyes me now and then grin at me. She knew now the kind of sick and weird jokes that I would use, and she would accept them, fully.

"You just wait, we're gonna have the best time out there fighting for the boys and showing them who can really hang, you best believe," She said in a grin to me, pretty hearty as I inhaled once more, but pausing since something caught my eye and made me freeze as the smoke was escaping my lips. Someone was watching me.

One of them was watching me.

He had black hair, cropped in the army fashion, of course, but it almost looks too dark to be black, maybe a blue for the signets hitting it just right. He also looked a bit pale, like he was never a person ho was right to be in the sun and survive the heat, but yet it complimented him and not made him look rather odd. Lastly, his eyes were too dark and almost inviting for me to just look at me was watching me like I was the most investing thing he has ever seen. I was used to the looks that others were giving me, but his look was more friendly and entranced at the same time. I honestly froze there since that kind of look was meant for someone else, not someone like me.

"Come on, let's go back inside," O'Neal said to me from the side, having me blink one or twice before I looked back over at her now and I watched her roll her eye and walk back over to the barracks. I looked back in front of me to find the man who watched me, who he was long gone with his friends and the other in his company now. They all walked away, having me stand there alone as the sun was now gone behind Currahee mountain. I sighed, throwing the butt away o the ground and putting it out with my foot.

What in the hell was going on with me?


	2. Chapter 2

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a ballerina. At least when I was four years old I wanted to be a ballerina, seeing all of those girls going to and fro from ballet class with their pink outfits and ballet slippers. It was the slippers that brought me in, having me tug at my mother's hand as we were walking down the street to the grocery store, my mother seeing me peer into the window and watch as the ballerina were stretching and then leaping across the floor with ease. She agreed that I would do classes.

To be fair, it was the only time my mother gave me the opportunity to choose what I wanted. It hasn't happened since.

Ever since then, I've been trained as a ballerina every other day at the same class that I cooed over. I knew I didn't have a regular upbringing from the other children that were walking up and down the streets of New Orleans. I knew why: I was from the upper class. We never talked to the other who were either middle, working or lower class. My mother was stiff-lipped about it, she grew up among the plantations of the South and knew what it meant to live a life far above others that and to work for their money. She never had to, not a day in her life, and that was to be my destiny.

If I wanted.

My father was a banker, earned how own money from his now family that went farther back into the south and beyond, even dating to when they traveled over from France right after American became it's own country. We've been here ever since, making our own trades learning how to rise above the workers and make our own lives comfortable.

For some time I never really took into account how my life was more privileged, merely because I was the obedient child that never really went against my mother, up until I was a teenager of course. But when my Uncle and Aunt would come into town, all the way from up north and they had the sense of adventure that I knew I needed and craved for. With my mother, having me under her watchful eye with my older sister, we both never really ventured in the French Quarter of New Orleans. For some reason, my mother was a bit afraid to go down there and not wanting to take her daughters there and have them be tainted by the rowdy and uncivilized nature of those who would wander the street like they were animals more than humans. Sometimes I wonder how much my mother would try and imprint on me the tainted woes of this world that she seemed no even worthy of our thoughts and cares.

My father was a bit better as a parent with me, as I see it now as a young adult than when I was a child. He had no problem spoiling me, but also teaching me good lessons when it came to friendships and growing up. I knew he wanted a son, but he two daughters instead. Since I was the youngest and ruff around the edges, compared to my perfect older sister who was going to go places more than me, my father treated me like I was his favorite. I knew he did, sticking me tongue out at me at the table when my mother was;t looking, dance with me in his arms around my bedroom when I had a nightmare, and even running around with me at the park when my mother had another "a headache" and was not to playing with me then. She never played with me, she would only act like my gatekeeper.

I regarded my father as the true parent.

* * *

Camp Toccoa, 1941

I was slammed into the floor, grunting in pain and spitting out the blood that was in my mouth. I saw boots walking over to me, having me reach down in place my hands on the floor again and try to breathe out the harsh pain in my stomach and my head.

"Get up," The voice said calmly, having me blink a few time before I was shoved a bit with the boot against my ribs, "Get your ass up! You need to do it again!"

I slowly got up, getting my vision back in order now as I looked ahead of me again and felt more blood on my cheek and in my mouth. I had to realize, and I had to remind myself over and over; this was the training. I had to learn how to fight and defend myself because of what we were going to have to do some time in the future in the war, not that we were placing all of our hope within that basket. We were still willing to keep our head high and our ears alert.

"Get your hands up," The woman in front of me instructed: Captain Josephine. She was the first to be recruited for the Black Mamba Unit, and one of the strongest women that they would find and bring in to help fight in the war. None of us knew where she came from and who she knew how to fight less of a man and more of a warrior of some sort. She was training us to fight, to really fight with our hands instead of with guns. We didn't know at firs why we were boxing each other and learning how to mauve around grasped hands, but she explained that we were going to be underestimated in this war, only because of our sex. We had to have the apprehend.

"Again," she said to me now as I got my hands near my face, striking at her and seeing her ducks and punch me hard in the collarbone to knock me over onto my knees and out of breath.

"You can do better, and move faster with those ballerina legs of yours," She said in almost a daunting manner. I looked up at her, seeing the others in our unit standing off to the side and watching without saying a word. They too were being trained like me, some better than others, and they too were getting beaten down as Captain Josephine looked over at each of them.

"Do not be afraid to use what you know in a fight. If you know how to dance, then use your movements to get in and out of a tough spot. If you know how to box, box then instead of punch. Use your own skills against those who have no idea what you can do: you need to be on the upper hand," She explained to them as she circled around me but kept her eyes away from me. I taught it would be a good moment for me to strike at her when I taught she didn't look,g so I stood back up completely without making a sound and threw out a punch new her head, but I saw her whirl around within a millisecond and grab my arm before my curled fist could touch a single hair on her head. She eyed me, her hold on my arm near her face was a death grip now as I struggled a bit to get her off of me.

"Think, Bellerose, how do you get out of here?" She hissed me now in a low tone, having me look at her on confusion since she was not going to loosen her grip on me anytime soon, "Come on, ballerina. Use what you know to get out of my hold." I knew what she was doing, she was trying to make me think on my toe and not just fight her, she wanted me to…in a way…dance for her. If I was in this position when I would be in ballet, which seemed like ages ago, what would I do next? It came back to me now, having me stare right at Captain Josephine and strike up my left foot while having my right planted. I kicked her right tin the jaw with my foot pointed and getting her head, seeing her stumble back and release my arm, the others were in a bit of a shock when I saw Captain Josephine rub her jaw and have a bit of a shock there on her face. Oh shit, I must have pissed her off and made her angrier. I thought I was going to get in trouble then, maybe a court martial for hitting her, wait a minute, kicking her.

The others watched in horror and in shock, and they should be in shock. I was the first one in any of these sessions to strike back at Captain Josephine and give her a good shake about it.

"Good work, Bellerose." she said to me finally, a hint of a light tone was on her lips now and a hint of a small smirk was seen too,"Good kick too."

The first of many accomplishments for me.

* * *

September 23rd, 1942

"You heard from your parents yet, Bellerose?" I was stretching out my leg near my hip and lifted it to point up parole to my body, bracing the wall next to me as another Black Mamba Unit named Harper sitting on top of her bunk and looking through her letters that she's received from her family. It was late in the afternoon and we received some time off before we would go on our run up Currahee mountain.

"Not yet, Harper," I replied back to her, feeling my foot point up to the sky and feeling the stretch through my leg. I could see her eyeing me from the side, almost in a confusing manner now as I was still occupied with my stretching.

"Why not? You've never mentioned them," Harper explained to me as she was chuffed her papers a bit now in her lap. I looked over at her, seeing her look down with her cropped and short brown hair that was a hiding her bright brown eyes and then having my eyes drift down to the handwriting of her father and mother's letters.

"There's nothing to mention, not with them anyways. I only write to my uncle and aunt, you know that." I replied back to her as I lowered my leg again and moved around to get my other leg stretched.

"Just a thought really since everyone else talks about their parents and you….well you don't," Harper explained to me with a thoughtful than behind it. I pause while raising my leg, wondering if she had some kind of explanation as to why she would be asking me this. None of us really talked about where we came from, we weren't allowed to. We were only there to be part of the unit, nothing more to it than that. After our mission was done, we would be done too. What we would talk to each other about was supposed to be under wrapped, not giving too much away to it. Our home lives and our families were one of those.

"I don't have a great family life…Harper. I'll just leave it at that," I explained to her calmly now, since there was no point of snapping her head off about why she would be asking me over and over about why I don't choose to talk about my family. Harper didn't say anything after that, having me stretch out my leg even more now and feel the familiar burn that came with it.

"When was the last time you danced?" She asked me out of the blue now, having me just smile from how innocent it sounded.

"Right before I enlisted, I was about to audition for the senior company," I explained to her as I lowered my leg again and looked back at her, seeing her grin at me.

"Maybe one of these nights you can dance for us when we're not training," She suggested, having me shake my head and walk over to sit in my bunk that was next to hers. It wasn't that I didn't want to want, it was mere because I had no real reason to dance anymore since I was trying to turn over a new leaf in my life, a clean one. It was ironic that I was trying to do that with this life I was no living in the army as a sniper and soldier.

"I don't know about that, but I'll keep you posted when I do care to perform for you all," I joked with her, hearing her giggle now as I looked down at my own fingers and toes that were touching the cold floor beneath us. Ballet seemed like a distant memory to me now since I haven't practiced properly in a long time, but then again I was parting my need to hold a gun or even learn how to kill somebody. But then again, some of the aspects of my ballet was reminding me of my mother, of my past and how I never wanted what she wanted from me. It was a tether back and forth, my desire to dance again will make me remember my family.

I hated it.

"So what about those new recruits that just came in?" Harper asked me as I looked back up at her in wonder again from another subject change.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"The ones that are under Captain Sobel? You know, the guy who always has a stick up his ass about everything?" Harper asked me.

"Yeah, I've heard of him," I replied.

"Well, he's running his boys rigid, and I thought some of the others like Fox and Dog Company were bad. He's trying to make Easy Company the most well fit, well after ours of course. I think he kind of hates us," Harper explained to me as I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What makes you say that?" I questioned.

"Come on, we can make the boys look like pure chums running up and down that hill like their lives depend on it," Harper answered me back, having me roll my eyes.

"If all I heard about Sobel is true, then their lives are definitely depending on it," I replied back to her, "I think I saw Easy walking by the other day when I was outside taking a smoke with O'Neal."

"They're all a bit scrawny, don't you think?" She asked me now, having me think back t the days before when I was smoking tousled and talking to O'Neal and seeing that one boy, the one with the black raven hair and how he was intriguing just looking at me. No boy has ever looked at, or even gave one kind of glance of that nature, to me. It turned my stomach a little bit just thinking about it, seeing the look he gave me that almost made me lose myself too.

"Come on, we might as well get ready for our own run before Easy beats us to it. That'll be a show, seeing Captain Josephine chew out Captain Sobel." Harper said in a snort as she got up from her own bunk and walked over to her locker that was on the other side of the barrack. I grinned at the thought of Josephine talking down to Sobel and maybe even make him cry from what she would tell him.

"I would pay to see that," I said to her as I walked over to my locker to get my own running attire on as well. I really would pay to see her rip him a new one and make herself still look like the better person HIS reputation as already being talked about among the other companies and units, Some were afraid of him, but with us at Black Mamba.

He was a joke.

* * *

"Let's go, girls! Currahee!" I was jogging up the hill with Harper right behind me and Josephine was leading the way, sine we were so close to being up to the top of the mountain and see the sunset that was about to go down over the camp. The rest of the girls were all running together within the tight-knit circle that we had, no one was faster than the other and no was was slower than the other. We all stayed together since it was not about being in a competition, it was mostly about staying as one unit and one group.

One family.

We made it to the stop and served over to the top of the mountain, seeing the opening that would lead us in the clearing that was mostly made of dirt and the surrounding grass and pine trees. This was a regular routine for us, to be running up and down this hill like it was a jog through the park. I sighed in relief now as that we made it to the top, the crisp morning air was seeping through our hair and skin now as the sky was painted pink and orange to show that night was coming. Sometimes, Josephine would let us just run up and back, but other times we would stay for a few moments and see the sun go down completely,

"Well done, Mamba. We did good today. Take a breath," Captain Josephine said to us all in his own gasping breath as some of us moved away from each other and over to the edge to see the camp below. We stood there for a good twenty minutes, all breathing in the sense of victory that we once again made it up t the mountain. I didn't mind the peace, the quiet that was there in the air and along the forest.

It all looked so tiny compared to being down there myself, the small houses and barracks that were nestled on the ground amongst the trees and near the grass. Seeing all of the buildings and the scenery tinted in an orange glow from the setting sun already reminded me of home, on how the sun would sometimes set over the bayou and make me think that I lived very close to heaven, or that heaven was close enough to me.

"Let's go, boys! Get you asses up on the hill!" We all looked behind us at where the trail was that would lead us back down the mountain, hearing jogging footsteps coming our way now up to the end of the trail that they were on. Captain Josephine role her eyes and walked over to us now, the ones who were a bit away from us now walked over so we could stand together in a huddle incase of whoever it would be. But from the look on her face, she knew who it was and she as no happy about it.

"Goddamnit, it's Easy Company." She said to us, having me all look at each other and feel like we were about to walk into a hornet's nest. And we were about to be in the middle of it. But I knew another thing about it since we were never one to back down from another group that would see us as less than a soldier.

"Hold your ground, Mamba. I will handle Sobel if he talks badly about us, okay?" Captain Josephine looked back at us and looked at each of us in the eye. We all nodded in agreement as we saw the first few soldiers from Easy Company running up the hill. Of course, Sobel was the first to be up on the hill and he was looking like he was a fierce all American boy from school: victory in his eyes. Not only victory but perfection. He stopped in his tracks, along with the men who were coming up little by little now as they saw us standing there on the top of the mountain, staring them down in a tight huddle right behind our Captain who was staring right back at Sobel with a fierce look in her eye too. I felt like this was not the first time they both had a battle of wits with each other.

"Hello, Easy Company," Josephine said pleasantly now as we all looked at them. I saw all of their faces, looking at us with a hint of intimidating in their eyes and on their faces. They were surprised to see us up there, I could see it in how they were catching their breaths and trying not to look surprised themselves. Sobel eyed Josephine back, having me see him too look a bit surprised and shocked but was trying to hide it himself.

"Black Mamba Unit, I didn't think you would be up here this late." Sobel replied back to her now, having em watch carefully as Josephine was shifting from one foot to another.

"We had no more time earlier today with our own training," Josephine replied, "And I can see that you're running your boys down to the earth with all of this running back and forth."

"Keeping them up to par is what I like to call it…. and I could only wonder what you do with your group of…soldiers to get them ready for war." I cringed a bit as he was saying it like it was some kind of virus that was supposed to kill Josephine. I looked at all of his men, seeing them all shift a bit uncomfortably now as they were hearing their Captain talk bad about us and insulting us. But I was surprised to see, once again, the very same young man whom I looked eyes with some days before. HIs back hair was sticking up, an almost glint of sweat and his pale skin looking like it has a bit of a color compared to his white shirt. He stood up compared to the others in the group who were tall and tan and more muscular, but I was still looking only at him now. It was safe to say, he was looking right at me too.

"I'm training them to kill," Josephine replied back to him without blinking twice, not one saying a word between the two groups now as Sobel was eyeing her with a hint of fear there in his eyes as she was saying it like it was second nature. The others in both of our groups were a bit shocked in how she said it, having me wonder what she was going to say next, "You, on the other hand without wanted to sound a bit unorthodox and out of place as a fellow Captain, are training your men to just..fight. I can assure you, Captain Sobel of Easy Company, that my unit is far more capable at winning this war than your boys."

No one said a single word, it was like someone dropped the bomb on the whole mountain. Sobel looked so red in the face, and he couldn't do a thing about ti since she was a fellow Captain and was equal to his ranking and she technically didn't say anything that was out of order or not right. So I guess she won that around, having me see her turn her head over to the group of us behind her with just her head.

"Mamba, let's run down and get ready for dinner before it gets too dark," She said to the group of us, no longer saying a word to Sobel now as she started to jog over to him in order to pass him by. He moved out of the way as we followed Captain Josephine, the boys also moving aside for us like they were parting the Red Sea. But we followed, we followed our leader now as I saw the familiar face of the men there with his black hair, having me give him one more look before I moved away from him and we ran back down the hill.

I had to wonder if we woke up the beast.

* * *

I had to have one moment of weakness, Goddamnit.

After I had my early morning workout with the group and my run up and down the mountain, I was working out on the firing range when a bullet that another private from another company, I believe it was from F Company, ricocheted off from the tree that was nearby and then sliced into my arm while I was about to take a shot. I didn't cry out in pain, from the grunt that came from my lips said otherwise and the poor private that shoot that bullet almost looked like he was about to piss his pants. After plenty of apologies from him, I was escorted over to the medical ward where they were both trainmen the combat medics and the nurses that would eventually go out to war. The doctors in charge were seasoned in their trades, also being a secondary eye to the new combat medics who were training.

Which was jut what was happening to me.

I was sitting on the medical bed, a gauze already placed over the wound now as they were making me wait of the combat medic that was going to be working on me. I as already getting a bit of anxiety from sitting there for about 5 minutes now, my feet tapping in the air since I was a few inches too short from touching the ground. I only wanted to get out of there since being in some kind of hospital was going to make me sick to my stomach.

"Sorry for keepin' you waitin' Lieutenant—" I looked up to hear someone was walking into the room with an accent that I was all too familiar with. I was in shock to see who it was, clad in his training uniform and a bright white medical armband with the red cross there on his arm and his eyes were big as he saw me too.

It was him.

"Bellerose." He finished with my last name, having em hear how ti rolled off his tongue like it was wine to me, sounding so natural and soothing at the same time. I knew how my name was a bit of a tough one to pronounce to those who didn't know how to say it with a French accent. He was the first to say it, with the accent that I knew quickly and almost fell out of my bed I was sitting on then because of him being there. Now it was just the two of us, no one to hide behind or with.

"That would be me," I replied back to him, not being able to think of saying something else. As soon as I spoke, I saw him light up with his face and his eyes, almost like something struck on his brain.

"You're from…..Louisiana?" he asked me tentatively, having me smile at him.

"New Orleans….are you from there?" I asked him, seeing him carefully walk over to the locker where I would think the supplies were there. I watched him reach out to open the locker door there, having me notice that he looked a bit on the shaken side.

"I'm from Baton Rogue." He replied back to me, having me grin ta him.

"I've heard of that place," I said to him out of the blue, it sounded morbid like we were having a regular conversation. He pulled out some things for my arm, then walking over to stand in front of me and almost have a small smile on his face.

"You were shot in the arm from training?" He asked me, looking at the gauze that was placed on my wounded arm and then reached out to grasp it within his fingers. I was afraid that it was going to work when he pulled off the material from my wound, but once he started, it was much better than what I thought it would be. He had some kind of healing touch to his fingers, making it less of a pain to feel and go through as my wound was now exposed in the air. It didn't look like much, but how he was looking at it like it was far too important for him to not look at.

"It was a ricochet," I explained as he was getting the rubbing alcohol day to use for the excess blood that was on the skin, "I think I scared the private more than anything."

"It's not too bad from what I can see. I think it's just a few stitches," he explained as he was getting the equipment ready for use. I kept my eyes on him the whole time, and yet he tried to keep his eyes on the wound.

"I never caught your name," I said to him suddenly now, thinking that I would want to hear the name of the young man who has been somehow plaguing my mind. He looked up from checking on my wound in which he was sticking with ease, having me see his dark yet kind eyes at me and having me see him up close now. I could see that he was handsome, at least to me he was. Other men were Hollywood handsome, but he was just handsome in the way of innocence and maturity. I only hoped that I didn't look like an idiot in front of him. For some reason, this was the first for me to stumble in such a way with a male.

"I'm Eugene Roe, ma'am." he replied back to me kindly, having me see him give me a shy but warm smile on his lips as I smiled back.

"I'm Olive Bellerose." I replied back to him, seeing him look at me with a raised eyebrow and confusion.

"Olive, ma'am?" He asked me now, having me chuckle.

"My full name is Olivia, but I prefer Olive instead," I explained to him kindly, seeing him crack a side smirk on his face. That smile made me warm inside as he held out his hand. I shook it without thinking twice.

"Pleasure to meet you, Olive."


	3. Chapter 3

When I got older into my teenage years, feeling the urge to really rebel and really just get out go my own mother's hold while she too was holding onto my sister without a second thought to it. Even though we were merely two years apart, my thirteenth year on this earth and beyond that seemed more behind the image of my sister who seemed to be the shining socialite for my mother to quaff and fawn over. It was booming clearer to me as I was getting older throughout those years of both The Great Depression, that really didn't harm us a bit from my point of view, that my mother was regretting having a child like me who was not really wanting to have the proper outings and dates that she had when she was my age. My mother was living through my sister, whom wanted this life and knew nothing else.

But with me, I saw more and more of the life that was played out in front of me at the French Quarter, seeing it far away as I would come to and fro from the ballet studio that I was still going to. I was still involved with dance, it was the one thing that my mother really had no real control over me with. She thought I would outgrow it by the time I was fourteen, like other upper-class girls. But I stuck to it, making it through every level and even getting close to being part of one of the challenging companies in the studio. I didn't care if she hated me going to ballet instead of to parties, not catching the eye of every boy that she thought would be suitable for me and marriage.

That was another thing that I hated with her: marriage.

I was getting old enough where she would want me to come out to society, the social elites of the South that she knew from communication and other coming out parties. I didn't know those were still things that wealthy people did, well up to when my sister came out to society and it was one the biggest parties in New Orleans. I watched as my sister came down the grand staircase in her beautiful gown, the rest of the guest and my mother included in tears of pure joy from seeing the young woman there. And then there was me, the pretty yet more reckless younger sister whom didn't want to have anything to do with this kind of life and way of living.

When it was my turn for a coming out party, I wanted to revolt against the thought of me being in a dress that my mother would want me to wear and be a trophy in. I heard her trying to scold me over and over on how I was not being a proper lady for her liking, and I was so close to telling her off. But my father convinced, he asked me politely to play by my mother's rules, just this once.

So I did.

I remember having a beautiful mint green gown, complimenting my skin according to my mother and my hair was placed back in a braided bun to have my face be seen by the guests as I descending down the stairs with my father on my arm. I was petrified to go down those steps, my hands were shaking and my mind was only thinking of the worst and how I was going to fall. But I made it down the stairs, seeing my sister with her boyfriend who would later be my brother-in-law, seeing her also beam in pride in how I was looking in front of the whole room.

That night seemed better and worse than I thought, better since I was with a couple of my friends from the studio who came out as a support, and worse since I was still in that dress and almost not able to move once or twice since I was about to trip. But it was when I met a guest, someone that was a family friend of my mother's, that caught me off guard really. He was tall, he had a nice smile to him that would make any women melt their heart.

His name was Elliot.

* * *

"You need to tell them, Olive," I leaned against the wall again as I was balancing the phone against my ear and shoulder now, hearing my uncle on the other line and having another twang of guilt in my heart now as I was taking this call before going into another round of training, It was a bit on the bitter hot side there at the camp, having me already feel the bitterness there against my neck from the sun and it was now about to come out on my innocent uncle who was, once again, trying to have me tell my parents where I was. To tell them the truth.

"I don't want to tell them, not right now," I said to him under my breath, since my phone call was in the administrative building and soldiers were walking to and fro in the lobby where I was.

"Olive, before you know it you'll be somewhere over the Goddamn ocean and if something does happen to you, they're gonna get a letter and that's how they'll know. They have no right to know that way," My Uncle said to me with a stern tone on his lips, "At least explain to them why you're in the army. Hell, they think you're still off at a ballet company in Boston."

"I know, I know that was a stupid idea." I said to him to calm him down.

"No, that was a bit better and more convincing than what I would have thought you were going to tell them. Even though this is a beyond stupid idea, let alone suicidal, maybe you can reason with them and see the bright side of this," My uncle suggest, having me snort.

"Right, my mother, your older sister, is going to see the bright side of this whole thing of me being a Special Operations Soldier." I sarcastically agreed.

"You're true. My sister is a bit of a reluctant side when it comes to not getting things her way. She can be a mean son-of-a-bitch every once in awhile," The uncle agreed.

"How did you put up with it growing up with her?" I had to ask.

"I didn't. She may have been my older sister, but she wasn't my keeper. You, on the other hand, you're her daughter whom she loves to death and would do anything for," My uncle advised, having me close my eye and try to think of a way to either stop this conversation or make it better. Nothing was coming through my brain at the moment, having me already get a headache.

"Did you tell your sister yet?" He asked another question.

"Evangeline knows I'm not doing ballet in Boston but nothing other than that," I answered.

"Tell her first, tell Evangeline and see who she reacts to it. She's not your mother, she's a bit more on the realist side when it comes to big news like this." My uncle explained to me, having me now think of my older sister and how she would read to something like this. I knew my Uncle was right, Evangeline was more level headed and was more on my side nowadays since she could feel me trying to find my own air to breathe with my mother trying to give me her air. Even thought she didn't mind the life my mother wanted for us, I minded a whole lot. But still, we were sisters. That had to mean something.

"I'll write to her as soon as I can," I reassured my Uncle now, hearing him sigh in relief on the other side of the line.

"Good, tell her everything and what's going to happen. Once you hear from her and see how she handles it, then I'll really want you to consider you parents. I think your father too can handle it, you know?" He asked me with hope in his voice.

"My father….I'm still afraid of his reason." I admitted to him.

"Don't be like that, _Nièce_ (niece)," He said to me now with a stern manner again, "Your father loves you, truly loves you. Admit it, you were his favorite, and Evangeline knew it too. He can handle this news too though it might break his heart, he can handle it."

"But can I handle it, Uncle?" I asked him now in wonder, "Can I handle telling him that I'm training to be a killer?"

" _Bon sang!_ (Good grief) Think outside of your head for once and try to fix this! I don't want to cover for you anymore, and neither does your _Tante_ (Aunt)." He said to me, having me cringe since it felt like I hit a nerve with him now. It wasn't fair for them to cover for me for this long, they didn't deserve that kind of a headache and stress from my mother and father. I had to make it right somehow, and it would have to take some thoughts and some small steps.

"Okay, Uncle. I'll write to my sister and then I'll write to father." I explained to him.

"Promettez _-_ vous _?_ " (Do you promise?) He asked me over the phone. I knew that if I said this, there was no turning back to the thought of running from my parents for the rest of my life. They were still going to look for me wherever I went. I had to face them one and for all with all that went on and how I was feeling.

"Yes, I promise."

* * *

"Alright, we are going to go over the next week or so of assignments for ourselves, and I also had a report coming in from Colonel Sink," Captain Josephine was going over our weekly assignments in our barracks before we were going to head up to do our run again. I was glad to be off the phone with my uncle, but then again I was still thinking about how I was going to write to my sister and father and tell them what I was up to. Was I worried? I was petrified and thinking that they were going to kill me the moment they see me again, fi they were going to see me again.

"Sink wants to have 2nd Lieutenant Bellerose come over to Easy Company and do some gun training," I perked up when I heard my name, seeing the others looking at me from their spots in the chairs and having me shoot a look at Captain Josephine. Since her spat with Sobel on top of the mountain, words spread all around the camp Easy company was basically humiliated from the Black Mamba unit, already causing a rumor wheel on how Sobel either cried like a little girl from the humiliation or their asses were handed to them by girls. Either way, Easy was not looking too good on their part.

"Why do they want me over there, ma'am?" I asked her now with a hint of fear there. I was already fearing the worst if the men in Easy were going to hate me for telling off their captain and making them all look like idiots with the notion of how they were called boys compared to us women, us killers. it would be great to go over to them when their ego was killed to the ground. Great.

"You're our best shot with the rifle," Josephine replied lately, not understanding why I was freaking out by this.

"But still, It;s not a great idea for me to go over there since the hate us, ma'am." I said to her to make her understand.

"They don't hate you, Lieutenant. They hate me, and if they have something else to say to you that is not entirely appropriate, they would be court-martialed." Josephine replied back to me, the others in the room looking back at her with a hint of confusion on their faces from what she said.

"What do you mean?" O'Neal asked her now.

"Sink was ordered the men in Easy are to treat Bellerose with the utmost respect while she is teaching them. If, however, she is treated less than a Lieutenant should be treated, no matter if the man is a Captain or a private, Sink is ordered them to be reported and receive punishment." She explained to the group now, having me feel a sense of amazement from the whole situation. I was the first in our unit to move to another company, an all-male company, and help them with their training. He was trying to make sure I was seen as a fellow soldier and that I belonged there.

I'll admit, I was a bit touched.

"We're doing things a bit differently today, since we have a guest that is going to talk to us about the sniper rifle and what we should be prepared for," I was standing in the back of the tent that was hosting most of the Easy Company in there, having me look up at Captain Sobel now as he was talking to the men with his stern look on his face, already looking sore about me talking to his men. I was already being sore about it too, not knowing how they were going to react to me and if they were even going to like me. But then again I thought to Eugene Roe, the one medic whom I met two days ago and I instantly looked around to find him with the backs of the head there. NO avail, he must have been training with the other Combat medics.

Great.

"We have 2nd lieutenant Bellerson from the Black Mamba Unit, their best sniper and shot out in the field. She will train you as I will be stepping out, and I don't want to hear anything abut you disrespecting her or else no weekend passes will be given. " He said, and all of the seas of the head turned around to see me as I walked down the middle aside now, keeping my eyes ahead and not showing one ounce of fear. I remember what it was like ti perform in front of strangers with my dancing. I was taught never to break character, to give them a show so to speak. So here I was, giving them a show.

A show of a badass.

Sobel moved to the side as I walked up there now and faced them all in my own Black Mamba unit training attire and my hands behind my back. My hair was braided and kept back within his bun now, having me look at each of the men as some of them sat up from seeing me and others were looking a bit shocked from me being there. I had no idea why, it was like I was an alien to them. Who cares. Sobel walked out of the tent without acknowledging me, which I knew was going to happen as I took in a deep breath and began.

"I'm 2nd Lieutenant Bellerose from the Black Mamba Unit, and I was asked to come to teach and show you how to use a sniper rifle," I explained to them all, seeing some of them looking a bit unconvinced now and others a bit skeptical, "You are already training to use a gun, not to mention handling one so you don't do damage to yourselves. But there is a difference in using a rifle and shooting one. I'm going to show you that difference. Can anyone tell me how fast does it take for you reload a bullet after you shoot it?" Noe one moved for a solid few seconds, but I felt like they were thinking this was some kind of trick question and I didn't want to seem like a bitch and ask the same question again. One person, finally, rose his hand from the thrilled row. He looked sweet natured, tanner skin than the others that was smooth and his hair smoothed to the side.

"It takes me about 3 seconds, ma'am." he replied, having me hear his accent that may have been from Virgina or somewhere close by. I smiled at him.

"Have you shot a rifle before, private?" I asked him kindly.

"I've been shooting since I was a boy, ma'am." He replied back to me, having me nod my head.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Darrel Powers, ma'am. They call me Shifty," he replied back to me, some of the men were grinning from his remark and I pointing at him while looking at the rest of the men in the tent.

"Shifty's 3 second reload is close to the mark in which you guys have to make, it's not there yet, but it's close enough to qualify. Now typically, a soldier can reload in five seconds, but those five seconds and either keeps you alive or kill you when you're not prepared. I'm going to teach you to reload in under two seconds." No one said a single word now as I grinned at all of them. They were not expecting to hear that from me, women with the ranking of an officer now. I then walked over to the side of the tent now, knowing that on the tousled I stored my rifle there. I walked out for a moment, grabbing my rifle and back in to see them all watch me with my rifle in my hands. I was given this rifle from the very beginning and I stick with it since, pointing to the barrel with my spare hand.

"I've placed blanks in here before I came so I can practice and have you boys see. The faster you reload a bullet, the higher chance you have at success, you have to think ahead of what you're doing." I explained to them as I got the rifle in both hands, "Now if you follow me, I'll show you how to shoot one of these."

* * *

"Did you see the aim she had! Jesus, I think she's just as good as Shifty, if not better!"

"I'd be afraid to piss her off!"

"She's alright I guess."

"Alright? Give it a rest, Bill. That girl can shoot better than you since you can shoot the broad side of a barn!"

"Oh shut it, Liebogtt."

They were murmuring about me as I was lowering my gun and they were dismissed to their training some more, my session with them was about done now as some of them moved on from me now and I was thinking I was going to be left alone, that they would';t want to have anything to do with me. But it was quite the opposite, which was a huge surprise.

"Hey, can I please talk to you for a second Lieutenant?" I looked behind me at the one who spoke earlier, the one called Shifty as he walked over to me from where the boys were on the other side of the grass, holding their own guns ad trying to show each other the way I taught them to hold it.

"Sure, private." I said back to Shifty hesitantly now as he walked over to me with his own rifle.

"I just wanted to say…than you for showin' us how to shoot," He thanked me kindly, showing me how much of a gentleman he was and I grinned at him while I was placing my rifle strap over my shoulder.

"You're quite welcome. I think you were my best shooter out there." I noted to him, seeing him shift a bit and shrug his shoulders, but before he could give me some kind of reply I saw a couple of others from Easy walking over to join him in his conversation with me.

"You tryin' to woo her, Shifty? It ain't' gonna work, turn off that Southern charm you have!" One of the men voiced to him with a snicker on his lips, he was a bit more built and look harsher than the others there.

"Bill, leave it alone before she whips ya," Another soldier said in almost a warning manner and the others snickered around him now. I didn't think they would react to me on a lighter manner, which threw me off in a bit. They all seemed rather nice, of course on the brash side since they were all about being the top soldier there with their attitudes and their stamina.

"I'd rather not do any kind of whipping on you guys," I said to them all tentatively, watching them all just smile at me while I was shifting a bit there and thinking of what else I could tell or talk about with them.

"The name's Bill Guarnere, a pleasure to meet a member of the infamous Black Mamba Unit," The first snarky man said to me and he walked over to stand near Shifty and we shook hands.

"Pleasure," I said back to him.

"So, is all that talk we've been hearing about Black Mamba true?" He asked me now, a hint of glee in his voice now as I eyed him carefully.

"What kind of talk are you hearing?" I asked him now suspiciously.

"I think what the Good Ol' Gonorrhea is asking," A lanky soldier now speaking up with a snark in his tone now and Bill was rolling his eyes, "Is if the Black Mambas Unit a Special ops unit like we were told."

"…Yes?" I replied back to him as more than a question than anything. He grinned from ear to ear now as the others were just chuckling as he pointed to Bill.

"I told you!" He replied in a hint of pride.

"Fuck off, LIebgott." Bill replied again to him and another man spoke up.

"Don't mind those two they fight like cats and dogs," He said to me, having me look at him now as he was grinning at me, "I'm Talbert."

"Good to meet you, Talbert." I replied back to him.

"You know, when your Captain told off Sobel up on Currahee back a couple of days ago," Talbert started, having me freeze and wait to hear what he was going to say about it. I was finally going to hear what he had to say about my unit.

"I thought that was pretty awesome," I sighed in life when he said that, like I was releasing the breath I was holding and the others nodded in agreement.

"Honestly, we've been waiting for someone to tell him off sine we were assigned to him, the guy's a complete asshole," Another man, who was a bit shorter now said in a gruff.

"Perconte, only you could think of him as an asshole," A bulkier man said in an Arkansas accent.

"Oh, shut it, Bull. Remember, he hates you?" Perconte replied back to him with a bitter look on his face.

"Any who, you guys a are a mean team around here," Bull explained to me, having me almost blush in front of the guys.

"You know, other Companies think of us a freaks, not really the friendly type," I reminded them, seeing them all shake their heads as Joe smirked at me with a wide grin on his lanky but young face.

"We're not like other companies then, ma'am."

I guess not.

* * *

"Hello, Olive," I hear Eugene say to me as he walked into the room where I was assigned to since I was there for a check up on my stitches. I grinned at him, feeling a bit better later on that day after meeting some of his friends who were in Easy. I was sad that he wasn't there when I was demonstrating the rifle shooting, but then again I didn't want him to see me looking more like a rustic man than a leader. I didn't know why, but I wanted to present myself as more of a pretty face to him than anything, which was silly since no guys have made me feel that way in a pretty long time. Not since…not since Elliot.

"Hello Mr. Roe" I replied back to him as he grinned at me and then looked back at my file in front of him, "You're training some more today I take it?"

"Sadly, yes. I heard from some of the guys that you were shooting a rifle in front of them today," I cringed a bit, not wanting to bring that up with him as he placed my file down and then reached over to roll up my sleeve and look at the stitches there. Compared to the others that I met earlier today, he was shy. They were bold, they were talking to me like I was one of their old pals back at their old hometown, which was not wrong to be fair. I didn't mind that one bit, but it Eugene…it was like he was trying to tread water to just talk to me. Like he was intrigued but reserved about me.

"Colonel Sink wanted me to train them in shooting and maneuvering a sniper rifle," I explained to him, watching him tilt his head a bit now as he was examining the stitches against my skin and he said nothing for a moment. Was he judging me?

"You're a sniper?" He asked me now in interest.

"I am, well…I'm the best one from my company as the sniper," I explained to him some more as he looked back at me now with his dark eyes that looked so innocent and serious at the same time.

"Shifty's our sniper, did you meet him?" He questioned.

"I did, a nice young man." I commented and he nodded in agreement.

"He's nice enough, not that the others' aren't nice," He quickly tried to cover that up and I had to smile from that.

"The others are nice, they kind of remind me of a bunch of college boys, you know?" I asked him kindly as he nodded. He pointed to my wound then.

"The stitches are holding up well, I think you should be fine to let them fall out when it's all closed up. No infections." He explained as I smiled, rolling down my sleeve and seeing him remove the file from the bed and walk over to the counter. He then paused, looking back at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Does your unit have a medic?" Eugene asked me now, having me shake my head.

"We never recruited one, more were given one," I replied back to him, seeing him return look a bit taken back from what he heard.

"That's….unheard of for a Company to not have a combat medic." He voiced out like he was a bit scared from what he heard.

"But to be fair, we're not technically a Company. It's more of a unit, there sonly 10 of us," I replied back to him, seeing his eyes go wide as he walked back over to me again and stood near me while I was still on the examination bed.

"Just 10 of you? That doesn't seem right," He said back to me as I once again shrugged.

"We're not even supposed to be here in the army, but he we are," I replied to him simply, like it was no big deal within my own head now since i had a good year to think about it, "We're hired as a Special Operations unit. It's not like we're an official company here in the army since…I guess….some of the army officers are either underestimating us or afraid of us."

"Still….you should have a combat medic on your team in case something does happen to you," Eugene voiced to me now.

"We've all been training in first aid in case something does happen to us, wrapping up wounds and applying sulfur, even stitching," I explained, seeing him look a bit confused about it now.

 _"C'est_ dingue" (That's insane) He said under his breath and it had me perk up a bit.

"It is insane, trust me. I've tried to talk to my Captain about it," I answered him, seeing him give me a small smile on his lips from learning that I knew his French.

"You speak French?" He asked me now, having me smile widely at him.

"Since I was little," I answered him back, "I am from New Orleans, and it's pretty normal to be speaking French there." Now there was more than one thing that we had in common: the both of us from Louisiana and we both spoke French. I felt like out of all of the soldiers that I have met at Camp Toccoa, Eugene was growing under my skin and making me feel more at ease when it came to talking to others that were men.

"Thank you for my stitches, Mr. Roe," I thanked him since we were having a moment or two of silence between us now. I hopped off the examination table and went to grab my jacket before I heard him speak up once more to me.

"Eugene," He said to me as I looked back at him now with a raised eyebrow,

"Excuse me?" I asked politely.

"You can call me Eugene…if you want," He said to me in almost a low but soothing tone. I didn't even think about it since I called him Mr. Roe and not his first name, not even Doc. But now that he was looking at me, a small amount of color was on his face because of the smile there and it made me smile back at him. We only formally talked twice with each other, and it was already feeling like we were going to be friends.

"Alright, Eugene."


	4. Chapter 4

November 1942

There was a letter on my cot then, having em freeze and look down at it with a small glimmer of hope there since I knew it was my sister's writing. She was writing back to me about what I wrote to her, what I told her. I told her everything, about me leaving the house and the family, about who I fooled our parents into thinking that I was going to another ballet company in Boston, and then how I was in the army now. I was just now trying to figure out her own reaction, after writing to her right on the first weekend of October and now December was around the corner now. Why did it take her this long to write back to me?

I sat down on the cot and held the letter within my fingers, not really wanting to look in there and get another scolding from her. But then again, I had to know what she was thinking and if she was alright with this. It was hard, both wanting and not wanting it, but it had to be done. I opened the envelope and grabbed the letter from inside, seeing her neat handwriting there along the stationary that she had now with her name neatly printed right on the top.

 _Dear Olive,_

 _Thank God you wrote back, I haven't heard from you in months and I was getting worried. But from what I read in your letter, I almost thought it was a foolish trick you were playing on me._

 _I have known you to be an independent young woman, very independent compared to me. I love that about you, and yet I also despised. Please help me understand why you have chosen to do something like this that could end your life? It scares me to know now that at any moment, I could lose my sister forever._

 _I never saw you anything more or less than my sister, please know that before you judge me any more than I deserve. it's understandable that I have driven a wedge between us because of how I lived my life and how you have lived yours. Mother tried to give the both of us her life, and I think it only worked for me. But I envy you, I really do because you still have a sense of who you are and how you want to live your life. I don't have my life, I have a husband and a child whom I love with all of my heart. But you still have something I don't have, something that I missed out when I was younger and I never took when I had the chance._

 _You have courage._

 _I know it's too late for me to talk you out of it, to ask you to come home at least to see eye to eye with mother. But I can only ask you now to just try and survive and come back to us. War is such a pretty thing to be involved in, petty and also dangerous and courageous. I never took you as a soldier, only as my little sister who could twirl around me with ease and make me look pale in comparison._

 _Write back to me, let me know how you are and if you are still who you I remember you to be._

 _Your sister,_

 _Evangeline_

 _P.S. I didn't tell father for mother anything, as you requested. But you need to tell them soon, I would expect our mother to be quite flustered with no thought as to what is happening to her youngest._

I sighed with a heavy relief on my head now as I looked up from the letter now and started to think again. I only hoped that I would, in fact, have to live through this war, even after signing my life away and knowing that I was about to be thrown into the lions den compared to the others in the army. They were merely just going to shoot and run. I was going to shoot…and stay until whoever I was shooting dies.

Either way, it felt like my chances of living past the war was a chance of one in a million.

* * *

I was running through the forest now, having me try and pick up the pace and make sure that I was going to stay ahead of the pack since they were right behind me. We were training against this time, working on our running with each other since the one thing that we would have to use against the other Companies in the army was our speed.

I had to admit I was no fast runner, I was better leaping than running. When we started this exercise back when we were first together as a unit, we were pretty slow compared to how they wanted us before we should be shipped out. But now, after so many hours of sweating through the pain and through the blood spilled from sores and scars along the way.

I was pumping faster and faster through my nose and through my arms as my legs are carrying me more and more, dodging the trees that were both still up and standing tall and the fallen logs in front of me. This was one of my main obstacles, all of our main obstacle really as I could barely hear the others right behind me.

As soon as I knew we reached a certain point, I gave out one sharp whistle that was short but cut through the forest and through the trees. It was the single for all of us to break off from our tight-knit group that we were running in together, all of is moving and still running in different directions as we were all aiming for a tree to climb. I found the one right in front of me, having me grin and run right at it before launching myself onto the trunk. Claiming up the side of the tree with ease and having me pick up the speed a bit now and getting higher into the trees and within the leaves there. Once I reached a level that I liked, I hopped onto one of the branches and started to walk along the branch there quietly to that I was not going to be seen, craning down along the branch there to try and blend in. It was a simple game of runs, not to be seen by another or sell you lose.

Hide and seek.

I was peering through the branches, hoping to find the small glimmer of skin that would belong to a Black Mamba Unit that would also be trying to find me. So far, all I could see as the green of the leaves and the brown from the trunk and branches, but I knew they were out there somewhere. I didn't know how far away there, or how high the were in the trees. Most of the time I was good with this game, or at least I would call it a game really since everyone else would call this a practice routine. I wanted this to be a game when we could unwind and be more human than anything instead of trained killers.

"Harper!" I called out, seeing her fifty feet to my left and two feet up.

"Dammit," She said in a mutter now as I looked some more. I was pretty damn good at this game, and I would win from time to time now as I found another member.

"Jameson! Strantson!" I called out two more now as they are trying to sneak by without me seeing them. I was about to call out one more when I was called out myself.

"Bellerose!" I cringed a bit, looking over to the right and seeing O'Neal looking at me with a cheeky grin from about forty feet away and down a bit, seeing her give me a wink.

Yeah, I love this game.

* * *

"What in the hell is going on over there?" O'Neal asked us as we were talking over to the barrack when right tin the middle, out on the grass, there was a large mass of soldiers there all around in a circle now and something happening in the middle now. I was curious as to what they were doing out there, almost sounding like some kind of riot now as we walked over in pure curiosity. Well, most of the grill were walking over there now and I was just wanting to get away from the boys again and write back to my sister. From the looks of that circle and all that was going on in there, the rowdiness that was happening within that circle though I had no idea what they were doing, it made me think that something bad was about to happen.

"Come on, at least let's check it out and see what's happening," Harper urged me now as we were walking over there and I felt like I should tag along. Something inside told me to go with the girls, the protective side of me since I saw them all as my sister now and having me feel like the older sister. The last thing that we need is one of the women in the unit getting in trouble, and since Captain Josephine had to into a meeting with Matthews, I was the one who was in charge with the girls now.

We walked over, having me look tentatively look through the sea of men who were cheering someone on, We weaved our way through, some of the men who were in the crowd saw us and instantly moved out of the way, as if they didn't want to touch us as the 10 of us now as we made our way to the edge of the circle that was formed in the middle now. We all looked to see two men fight each other, bare fisted and the others around the circle cheering them on like it was some kind of competition.

"Jesus," O'Neal said under her breath next to me now as the one bigger man in the circle threw a mean swing to the man in the stomach, having me see him topple to the floor and the boulder of a man cheered as well as the others around the circle.

"They call this fun?" Harper asked me now in curiosity as the other man who was still on the ground got up reluctantly and moved out of the circle now with his head bowed.

"More like a showing of pride and who's balls are bigger," O'Neal replied back to her, the other girls chuckling from her remark and I had to admit, it made me smirk from how she said it. The boulder man who was the winner hear us and he chuckled, pointing at us with his fingers that were still a bit tainted with blood and fighting fatigue. I could tell now something was about to go down.

"Well, who decided to join us, out from their high ivory tower: The Black Mambas!" He said, his voice booming out loud and the whole crowd there looking at us now. I felt like I had to be in a defensive stance now since he was calling us out in front of the whole group of men. I looked around the circle, seeing some of the familiar faces of Easy Company and how they too were watching the previous fight but now they were seeing me, mostly me really, and they looked a bit uneasy about it. The man in the middle of the circle now walked over to us a few steps now, his look was a bit sinister now, eyeing me up and down since I was the closest one there in the circle.

"Couldn't resist coming to play with the big boys now, did ya?" He asked me now, having me feel as though I was about to be tongue-tied and I should say something. But it was O'Neal who spoke up first now.

"Quite the opposite really, we just came by to see if any of you blew some blood that was worthy enough and from what I'm seeing…." She passed, looking down at the ground and clearly grinning at him as she looked back at him, "You mere boys don't know how to really fight."

"Oh really now, you think you can make me bleed?" He asked her now, turning his look from me over to her. Some of the men looked at her in surprise, when I was looking at her in shock since she was basically egging him on and getting his own blood boiling. I knew what she was doing, and I've seen it before. Before, I wouldn't be afraid for her since she knew how to fight, but it was now that I was afraid for her since this man was clearly twice her size and weight.

"O' Neal…" I started to want her under my breath, but she spoke up anyway.

"Make you bleed? I'll make you pour." She replied back to him in a lower tone now as he eyed her, already challenging her with his look and he then waved for her to join him in the middle of the ring.

"Come on then, little flower. Make me pour." He said in almost a sinister manner now as she then grinned and shook off her jacket before I could stop her. This would en badly, not only for the army but for her being a woman and him being a man. I was beyond scared for her, and I had to stop this if I had the chance.

"Don't you dare go in there," I hissed at her as I grabbed her arm before she could take one step in there and make herself look like a victim and an idiot at the same time.

"Oh come on, he's not gonna touch me, The man can stand up straight and he doesn't know who to move his own weight around. I can take him out within one kick to the head," She reminded me, having me look at the man up and down and see what she meant. From what she told me, I knew that she was right: the man had no real sense of a fighting stance. She could take him out with one blow to the side or the knee, but it was still scary and bit unorthodox from what she was about to do.

"O'Neal…" I warned her, but the man spoke up again.

"Oh come on, I don't want to wait around anymore for some bitch who had all talk and no bite to it," I cringed since I knew when he used that one word against her, there was no stopping her. I saw something shifting in her, her look at her was less challenging and more of a low look now as she shrugged my hand off and walked into the circle. No one said anything since they were still in shock from her being in the circle to begin with. O'Neal walked in slowly, wearing her white shirt and combat pants and boots and her hair flowing in the wind now as the man still thought he had the upper game. Harper scoot closer to me now, knowing too what he said was going to cost him as O'Neal, still in the middle of the circle, grinned at him and pointed at him like she was calling him out.

"So you have to resort to calling me a bitch?" She asked him, no one else talking a bit now as the man didn't seem phased by it, "That's all you can think of calling me? I find it a bit of a humorous thing for you to go with that simple insult when I would have thought that a soldier was better than that." It was the she passed, looking at all the men around the circle now and then smiling so widely and throwing out her hands at all of them.

"The single mot powerful force on the fucking planet…..and all ya'll call me is a bitch?!" She yelled, having me hear silence and seeing some cold faces on each and every person there that was watching. I looked at each of the Easy Company men that were there. I saw Bull, Perconte, Joe LIebgott, and a couple of others that were there when I shot the rifle. Were they looking at me in a new sight? I bet they were.

"Let me broaden your horizons for you since you using a word that has been used against your mother," She said to him, some of the men shifted a bit now as the man looked like he was being slapped against the face for calling out his mother. I had to stay quiet since I knew nothing else was going to be done to fix this and O'Neal was either going to win this or dig her own grave.

"Did you just call—" he said in a short manner now, taking a step towards her as she nodded her head and cut him off with another thing to say to him.

"Oh, do I insult you now for calling another woman a bitch? And you don't seem to find it offensive to call me, a woman, that same term? I suppose I can call you a Khaki wacky kind of a man since you're so high strung to show you're the alpha male," She insulted him straight on in the face having me look at her in surprise now as he was now seeing red and stomped over to her. He was about to make a move on her, and I was about to be picnicked when he threw out a pouch to her and she ducked it with ease, glide to be behind him as he swung and all of his force was on his punch. Now he almost fell over from the sheer punch, she whirled around to back his backside and kicked him hard in the back, having him fall to the floor in a deep and the men around the circle had a chorus of "Ooh" from the sight of the man falling to the floor in a heap like hay.

"Come on, if you're all talk you can surely hit a woman without breaking a sweat," O'Neal was egging him, only kicking him enough to tip him over and not bruise his skin, but bruise his ego. He got up slowly, the red in his eyes was now going to be crimson and I was getting a little surprised on how she was handling herself. He got up and square off with her, towering over her and then making fists at his sides now and she did the same. I saw him take another punch, her dodging it again and another, and another. It was like she was toying with him and making him slow with energy.

"You know, you're a ducky shincracker if I ever saw one coming," She egging with him, seeing him launch himself at her now and she once again struggles out of his hold before he could even though her. Once he was out of reach, she slammed the heel of her palm up into his nose, having me hear him cry out and topple over and some of the other man "oohing" once again from hearing the crack themselves. That's when I knew it was enough, and there shouldn't be another round.

"Sergeant O'Neal." I called out to her, seeing her look over at me and tower over his now as he was trying to breathe through his broken nose. I gave her the one look I knew she was never to look away from, and how I carried my own voice was too another piece of evidence for her to listen and to take from. She knew, I wanted it done and she knew. She looked back down at the man and cracked her knuckles.

"Better luck next time…bitch." She said to him, sharing some of the men talking to each other in low tones as the Easy members were looking more impressed than shocked from what they saw. She walked over to me now, having me hold out her jacket for her to take and I eyed her like a parent would eye a child when they are about to be in trouble.

"You should've had done that," I warned her now under my breath as she shrugged her shoulders s he slipped her jacket, "You're gonna be in more trouble than you should be in."

"What? I only broke one tunnel in his nose, not both," She replied to me having me roll my eyes at her as the others in Black Mamba were talking to her now. I saw the man get up now, his nose spewing blood and his eyes were drilled into O'Neal who's back was turned to him, not chairing him. He broke into a charge, and within three strides he would reach her.

It was no longer the thought of us being soldiers and us holding up a respect for one another, it was now about him wanting to hurt her for breaking his nose. He must have no came from a home that receipted woman, and O'Neal called him the one word that would change his thought process about her forever. I had to think of a way to get her out of the way and not be killed by him if he was close enough since he could. So when he was close enough, I shoved O'Neal to the side and then thought of the only thing I could think of doing that would knock him out.

I kicked him.

I turned to face the girl, doing a roundhouse kick to the back now to hit him hard in the face and new this already broken nose and he fell back on his back again, this time, he was out cold. Once again, everyone around us was frozen since they didn't think he was going to be able to get knocked out in one kick as I lowered my leg now and watched all of the men now staring right at me than O'Neal. Even Black Mamba was looking at me in shock since I would be the last one to bring up violence on another person unless it was highly necessary.

"Come on," I said to the girls, all of us moving out again and not saying another word about it as once again the men moved aside for us and I lead the way now. I was never a violent person, and it still felt like it though now I knew how to fight and kill. Even after all the training and all of the blood I had spilled from my own body to prove that I was worthy enough to fight in a war, it was still not enough for me to be convinced that I was right here.

* * *

"Did you grow up in Louisiana?" I asked Eugene, the both of us sitting side by side now as we were talking once again to each other with another friendly conversation. Since we met two months ago, we've been talking with each other every other day when we had the time or when we would run into each other. He was a sense of epee for me to have, to have a friendly conversation with that had nothing to do with the war since we would talk about our lives before the war and what else we would bring to the table. Today we were talking outside the medical tent in two of the chairs that were set up.

"All my life, never been anywhere else." Eugene replied to me.

"Would you want to, though? Be anywhere else then Louisiana?" I asked him now, seeing him think to himself now about the question I asked him since I would think of the same thing too for myself from time to time. He was a kind person to talk to, the both of us having neutral things to say about our home state and how we grew up.

"I don't know, I never thought about it until I enlisted," He replied back to me with a lightness there heard between us, looking over at me now and nodding at me.

"How about you?" He asked me.

"Plenty of times, sometimes I would think of going to Boston," I explained to him.

"Why Boston?" He questioned.

"Well, they have real good ballet companies out there and I almost went there if I didn't enlist," I explained to him, "In fact, I applied to one in the city out there."

"I didn't know you were a dancer." He said to me with a hint of surprise in his voice and how he was looking at me.

"I don't tell a lot of people of me being a ballet dancer," I admitted to him, thinking about it and how I never really talked about it any of the other girls a whole lot. There was never a good time for us to talk about since we were training on a constant time schedule. But I also wasn't a type of person that wanted to flaunt it in front of the others and show off to them and feel better abut myself.

"How long have you been dancing for?" Eugene asked me as I leaned back in my chair a bit now.

"Since I was a little girl, the one thing my mother would let me do," I admitted to him without thinking about it. I stopped then, thinking that talking about my mother was not a good thing since we were still getting along as friends with each other and we were just on the surface with getting to know each other.

"Sorry," I said out loud like I should be the only apologizing for telling him about my mother. He shook his head slowly at me now, seeing that I looked a bit uneasy talking about my mother.

"It's fine…really," Eugene reassured me now, giving me a kind smile and stare as I looked down at my hand sin my lap and said nothing for another moment or two, "Your mom sounds….pretty intense." He chuckled after he said that and I chuckled in agreement.

"She is. I love her, I do, but sometimes she wants my life in a way that I don't want it," I explained to him simply, not knowing how else to word it, "I think me doing ballet was the only thing that my mother had no control over."

"Your mother was controlling?" He asked me, having me stare off at the distance for a bit really and think about how I was going to word it without being too personal about it. I was never one to be personal with any other soldier here in the camp, even with the girls in Black Mamba. We were taught to keep our eyes on the training at hand, that friendships in the army were not going to last long since men were going to be killed. They didn't want us to make friends, to come up alongside others if they were in need of assistance. It sounded cruel, and I knew it was cruel when they first told me the rules, but then again it made sense. We were supposed to be soldiers, more etna that and less of humans with feelings for those who would die.

So why was it changing for me with Eugene Roe from Louisiana?

"You could say that." I replied back to him simply, still looking out in front of me and thinking of my mother and how she would feel knowing that her daughter was out here in the army and learning how to kill with their bare hands and take risky Operations that were not meant for regular soldiers.

"My mother," Eugene said suddenly, having me look over at him, "She's a real Southerner mother. She loves to cook, day in and day out, sings hymns and gospel music early into the morning and late into the night, and she gives the best advice" I could see him smiling when he was talking about his mother, somehow bringing up the good memory of her made him look warmer there in the sun. Once again, just looking at him already gave me the feel of falling, but it was the good feeling of falling and not the bad feeling.

"When I told her that I was going to enlist or the army, though, I think I broke her heart a little," He explained now with a bit of a somber tone to his voice, "My dad was more accepting of it since he knew it was the right thing to do, but my mother was a different story."

"She was worried for you?" I asked him, wondering where he was going with this. He nodded, a small nod to show that he agreed, but he was still in deep thought about it. I could tell in how he spoke about it, how he was sitting in the chair, that it was still affecting him, how his mother reacted to him going into the army.

"Well, you see, I'm an only child, and for her to see me go off to war and think that I wasn't going to come back was hard enough on her," He explained to me then, already having me feel bad about talking about his mother to him and make him feel awful about him going off to war. I didn't want that in our conversation really, and it was making me try to steer out conversation into another road.

"If you don't mind me asking, Eugene, what's the one dish that your mother makes that reminds you of home?" I didn't know I asked that, out of all the questions I would ask him and get this mind off his mother in such a sad way, it had to be about food. I felt like an idiot then, and, of course, it had to be with the one person whom I considered the smartest man in the whole camp.

"Jambalaya." he said out of the blue to me, having me look over at him and see a war smile back on his face and he eyed me again and the warmth of his dark eyes made me fall within my chest all over again, "My mom makes a mean Jambalaya."

"My mother can make some pretty good beignets, especially during the holidays," I added to the conversation, and from there we talked some more about the foods we would eat as children. The conversation were, once again, flowing so smoothly and with nothing else to be worried about with whatever we were talking about. This was going to be a struggle for me, to have this kind of friendship and keep it at arms length when I knew that the odds of us staying friends together, even through the war. was so thin that it would be impossible. I never thought I would be in this kind of predicament with a young man who seemed to be so the kindest and most sincere of all the men in the camp.

I only hoped that I wouldn't be in too deep with another Cajun native like him.

* * *

"I'm being reassigned?" I asked Captain Josephine now as she was standing near me and was folding the papers there within her hands.

"Not permanently, but you are going to be helping another company as another lieutenant for them," She explained to me, handing me the paper for me to read and scan through without saying a word about it. It was true, I was going to be aiding another company while still working with Black Mamba, more with the other company than anything.

"Why would they want me to do that?" I asked her, now looking up at her now in confusion and seeing her just give me a leadership kind of look.

"They see potential in you, which is what I see as well," She explained as I looked back at the paper and read it again, "Mathews also thinks that it's wise for us to not stick together as Black Mamba throughout the whole war, only to come together when we have missions."

"And until then? What else are we going to do?" I asked her now, still confused about this and thinking that this was a whole 180-degree turn in the other direction, "Are we supposed to sit on our asses and not do anything?"

"We are expected to do what we have to do in this army, Lieutenant. If that means some of us stay in one base and wait, and others like yourself go to a company to bring aid, then so be it," She replied to me now, seeing that I was getting a bit angry about it. I had to calm myself since I was still talking to my captain and my leader, even though I was mad about it

"Sorry, ma'am," I replied back to her now in a kinder tone, having me pause for a moment and tap my foot to collect myself again, "Where am I being assigned to?"

"Easy Company." She replied to me, having me bit my lip.

Damnit.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, this is it? You're leaving us?" I sighed and grabbed my bag, looking back over at the others now as they were seeing me about to move out with the Easy Company boys and head over to Fort Benning. Since I got the news from Captain Josephine, I was about to head over to the new base that they were going to be training at for their jump wings, and since I was assigned to be in that group, I had to go train with them and learn how to jump out of a plan myself. Of course, there was a bit of a retaliation against my by the infamous Captain Sobel, but he was reassured that I was only working with the group, not being a part of the group in total. He had no control over me, but I knew that was not going to stop him trying.

"Only for now, until we get assigned a mission then I'll come back to find you," I reassured the group now as they were looking at me like I was walking out of their lives forever, with broken hearts and sad faces. I knew I was their favorite Officer, other than Captain Josephine of course, but I was the one who would give them reassurance and moral when they were getting weak themselves or when they wanted to quit. I knew that, didn't believe it, but I knew since they would tell me on constant rotation.

"But still, what are we gonna do without you since you keep our ass out of trouble?" O'Neal asked me now as she moved from the wall over to me with a cocky grin on her face. I had to chuckle from it since she was speaking the truth.

"The only one I keep out of trouble is you, but now you have to do this on your own without me there," I explained as I reached over to the nightstand to grab the rest of my things now, "I think you can do that without m holding your hand."

"At least you're going to Easy Company," Harper replied lightly as I paused from her words now and looked back at her with a curious look, "They at least like you from what I see. Some of the guys seem okay with you."

"Probably," I replied shortly now as I got the rest of my items in the bag without thinking twice. Sure, they were nice to me and they respected me as a Lieutenant now from seeing me defend one of my sergeants from getting killed in a fighting ring, not to mention me teach thing them how to shoot. But it was still a bit of a bummer because of how Sobel was already going to make me regret being assigned to his company, and Sobel undermining my ability to lead since I was a woman. It was going to be tough, very tough.

"Okay, " I said finally, looking up and having my bag in hand now as I was looking at each of the women there in the barrack room and watching them with my eyes. They were my family and my unit for a year or so and now I had to let them go, which made me a bit sad but I knew it had to be done, "I'm not going to say anything sappy to you since we all know that we are going to see each other again," They all chuckled from hearing me say that to them and I had to grin from seeing their smiles on me, "But keep training hard, listen to Captain Josephine,"

"As if we don't," O'Neal voiced in a snort through her nose, the others grinning again.

"Still, make me proud," I said to them as a farewell thing to say. It would be different, way too different for me to get used to since I was accustomed to the girls, but not men. It was going to be a hard change.

"Only for you, Lieutenant," O'Neal replied, the others nodding in agreement and having me hear a tap on the door, all of us looking over to see Captain Josephine there, all of us suddenly saluting her and she saluted back.

"As you were," She said to us and we lowered our hands and arms, "Lieutenant Bellerose, your jeep is ready to take you to the station with Easy Company," I nodded and walked over with my bag in hand, reaching the door and then stopping to look at the girls once more before I left them for who knows how long.

They were my first real family that I had in a long time, every single one of them that grew close to me called me one of them. I only hoped that we would be reunited sometimes soon in the near future, all of us together.

"I hope you make us proud with Easy Company," Captain Josephine said to me as we were walking over to the jeep now that was waiting for me.

"I'll try, Captain," I reassured her with a small grin on my face now as we were getting closer and closer to the jeep now, having me look to see her have something on her mind that she would want to tell me. I knew that look from her, it was a pondering look that she had her own brain that she wouldn't dare to tell the others but only me since I was the second in command.

"There has been a decision made for you," I looked at her again now with a more curious fashion now as she was still walking dead ahead now, not looking at me and it made me wondering what was happening, "Because of how big of a war we are going into, let alone a need to keep this unit afloat if something does happen to me,"

"Ma'am?" I asked her now, seeing that something was coming up that was drastic and serious.

"Today is your promotion to 1st Lieutenant," We both stopped walking for a moment now as I stared at her in disbelief, "And with that being said and placed in effect, it has been decided that if something does happen to me in the war, you would take over the Black Mamba Unit." Now at this point, I was stunned in silence now but I tried to show it on my face. First I was hearing that I was promoted to 1st lieutenant because of my 18 months of service, but now I was told that I would be the Captain if something happened to Captain Josephine. It came out of nowhere for me, since we never talked about it before just the two of us and who she was willing to have me take over Black Mamba. It sounded so much for me to try and handle it all on my own.

"You want me to take over if something happens to you?" I asked her in case I miss heard her.

"I wouldn't think of anyone else to take over Black Mamba and lead them," She said to me as I was still stunned silence from what she was telling me. Josephine saw the hesitance in my eyes, how I was looking like I tried to say something, but nothing came out, "Bellerose, Mathews has full faith that you can carry the unit with and without me, a good leader with your eyes always on the unit and what is best for them. You're nothing but a great Lieutenant that can be Captain someday." It warmed my heart a little bit, yet it felt off now since I was leaving Black Mamba unit for who knows how long and making myself known in another company. It didn't feel like the right time for her to tell me something like this, but then again I bet she did because there wouldn't be another time for her to tell me later in the war.

"Thank you, ma'am." I said to her tentatively now since once again, I had nothing else to say to her from the news that was given to me.

"You're unsure of your position?" She asked me, having me shake my head slowly now.

"No, not really…..not a whole lot," I tried to reason with her and Josephine nodded her head.

"You deserve this promotion, I hope you know that. And I have the full faith that if something does happen to me…" She started having me want to cut her off.

"But I doubt anything will," I tried to intervene from hearing her talk about herself being shot in the future or something, but she shook her head and almost held up her hand to me and it made me go silent once more.

"There is a possibility, especially for us in this war, and we have to take every precaution for the future that could happen and have you take over. I want to know that the soldiers in our unit will be taken care of I was no longer there to lead them," She explained in a stern tone now in front of me.

"Understandable, ma'am." I had to agree with her or else I would be in more trouble than what it would be worth. I had to face the fact that one of these days, whether it was tomorrow or months away, that I would have to run Black Mamba Unit with a level head and a good strategy. I kind of knew why she was training me one on one from time to time, with those hours studying a map and how it worked, hand to hand combat with her alone and talking any kind of strategy that could come our way. She was getting me ready like she knew she was going to die within the war. I didn't want to believe it, but it was more of a reality than anything.

"Good, let's get you ready for your trip then," She replied back in her light tone now and we walked again, my brain still processing it and drinking in the fact that I was going to lead one of these days, lead more than I was before.

"We will keep you notified throughout the war with telegrams from both Mathews and myself and let you know when missions are coming your way. You will still be taking orders from the both of us, even if Sobel asks," She explained to me as I tossed my army bag into the back of the jeep now and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered her, saluting her once and seeing her salute me back as the jeep was starting up with the private that was driving. Before he could take off with me in the vehicle, Josephine said one more thing to me that had me almost floored with shock.

"I heard what happened to that sergeant and his broken nose. I suggest that next time, just give a soldier a bruise."

* * *

 **Fort Benning, Georgia**

Rain, rain that day that pretty much stopped our training with the guns and our jumping training as well since it would have been far too harsh for the men to jump into. So, we were grounded for the day and with all hope the rain will stop tomorrow and we would get our jump wings that day. Joel, thinking ahead and still waiting for his men to pretty much suffer, made his men run in the rain and keep them all tight fit.

Since I came with the men on the train over to Fort Benning, Sobel has been keeping one eye on me in case I was, in fact, going to do something to his men that would make them fewer soldiers. I didn't know why he suddenly painted a target on my back wherever I went and with whomever I talked to. He didn't trust me being part of his company, even as a 1st lieutenant he would talk to me like I was a sergeant and have me feel lower than my real ranking. It made me try to work harder and harder now with what I would do to keep up with them.

I didn't mind it, it was fuel for my fire.

That day in the rain, the boys were already out and getting ready to run their 5 miles that they were required to run, and I decided to join them since I was part of their company and I wanted them to know that I was glad to be there with them. I was going to show it in a unique way with them as I other them make their block now and I walked over in my own combat training uniform. They eyed me, all of them now as I joined the other lieutenants in the front of the block now.

"Lieutenant Bellerose," Lieutenant Dick Winters, a tall lean red-headed officer himself who was well respected with the men in Easy and was kind enough to me when we were introduced some time ago, "I'm taking it that you're going to join us?"

"Yes, sir," I said to him in a small smile, the rain still coming down a bit now as he was about to argue with me when I beat him to it, "I was assigned to Easy company and I will train with the men as such."

"Not to sound rude or out of place," I heard next to me, another lieutenant named Lewis Nixon, another officer who apparently was more on the intelligence side when he was in military school and was going through the ranks there, "But I think Sobel is not going to be happy at all with you being here with the men."

"I can handle him," I replied back to him, seeing the both of the lieutenant looking at each other now to see if this was really a good idea. As they did that, I looked back at the men who were behind us and they too were confused as to why I was there. But that only lasted for a few seconds or so, seeing small grins breaking out on their faces to show that they didn't mind me being there with them and joining them in their torment. The one pair of eyes that I saw that were still the brightest, of course, was Eugene Roe. He was near the back with another medic and he was more quiet about ti as the others were talking to each other about me. But he gave me a friendly look like he too was fine me being there.

"Aright, let's get moving then before the rain gets worse," Winters said to have me look back at him now and he gave me a friendly smile. He was never stern with the others that was on the same level as Sobel, but more on the lines of a caring kind of brother figure. We then started to jog there, all in one group and we kept a good pace that was not fast or slow enough. Sure. this could bite my ass later with Sobel, but within that moment training with the men and knowing that I was going to have to protect them sometime in the future if shots were going to be fired. or someone else was going to come after them. I had to earn their trust if I was going to not only be on missions with Black Mamba but work alongside them whoever they would go.

* * *

"I haven't done a single thing that was out of order or not within the protocol, Captain," I tried to reason with Captain Sobel now as he was standing over me once again with a stern look on his face and the others in Easy were watching from afar. Once again, he was trying to catch me in doing something that would have me be sent back to Camp Toccoa and out of his hair when I was simply following his rules and jumping with the men when they were earning their jump wings that day.

It was supposed to be a happy event for all of us, for the men who were going to be paratroopers along with myself. I was glad that I got to jump out of a plane, but apparently to Sobel, I was not supposed to jump with his own men at all. He was still convinced that I didn't belong there with his men, almost like he thought his men needed more help, and to get that from a woman? That was an insult.

"You are not supposed to be part of their jump within their time frame, lieutenant," Sobel tried to scold me then and I stayed still with my hands behind my back and waiting to hear more from him that would possibly be offensive to me.

"If I am to help these men in combat as I was assigned to in the upcoming war, then I have to train with them," I explained to Sobel now in an orderly fashion since I wanted to look more respectable in front of him than mad at how he was making me feel about myself.

"I didn't give you authorization train with my men, which is a violation in itself," Sobel replied back to me in his bitter manner now, having me wait for when he was going to give me the fatal blow of him not wanting me there in general.

"I am to train with the men under orders from my Captain, whom I still take orders from, sir." I said to him in my calm tone now as he took another step towards me, almost close within my personal bubble.

"I don't want my men to fall back on their training because of one lieutenant who had no real place here in the army, " I wanted to punch him, really push him good and make him bleed for saying something like that to me. I knew what he was doing, he was trying to break me down like the others within Easy, but it was going to be worse for me since he had no compassion or respect for me.

"I don't want my reputation with this company to be tainted by the intelligence of one soldier who has no real right to be here, and lower than the rest of the privates in the army," He was trying to dig it in hard like a crooked knife and making it hard for me breathe now. I stayed still, not wanting to move and get in more trouble than what it's worth. He was taking it out all on me for my opportunity to train with the man.

He finally walked away from me now, away from the rest of the men as I was standing there and saying nothing, not doing anything and just making it drunk under my skin. I was warned of this, not with Sobel personally but with any men in general that didn't want me there in the army with the rest of the men. Captain Josephine warned us, even Captain Mathews warned us, but it was still hard to swallow it when it was happening to me right in the face.

I blinked finally, seeing that was once again alone there in the middle of the field and looked down in with a breath on my lips. I was no longer happy about that day, on how I earned my wings respectively and now it was shot to hell. I decided to walk away now, needing to find a place to hide out and collect my thoughts again. I didn't want to look weak in front of the men since it would already make me look worse after being chewed out by their captain, but I had to find something else to do instead of wallowing in my own self-pity.

So I walked away.

* * *

I found myself back in the mess hall where a bunch of other soldiers were already eating, and I was left alone at my own table and poking around at my food. God, what was I doing there? Ever since I left Black Mamba to apparently help this Company in their upcoming time in the war, I was feeling more miserable about my time in the army in general. I was no longer feeling as powerful as I was once feeling what felt like so long ago. Now, now I felt pathetic.

Someone sat down next to me, not saying anything at first and I had to look to see who it was as I slumped in my seat at the table. It was Eugene Roe, looking at me tentatively now like he too was hurt from what happened to me. I was glad to see him, just seeing his face was enough for me to feel better because of our growing friendship, but nothing else was coming up and I couldn't even smile at him.

"You okay, ma'am?" he asked me now, having me look back down at my plate and sigh.

"Please, don't call me ma'am, Eugene." I tried to reason with him, my voice sounding a bit off now. He took in a hesitant breath now, having me place my hands on the table and still feel crappy.

"What's wrong, Olive?" The way he said my name on his lips almost sounded heavenly for me, giving me a brief moment of peace on how my name sounded from his voice. It was already soothing me now.

"I don't know why I'm here," I replied to him, not really understanding that I was talking to him like I was talking to an old friend instead of another soldier, "Sobel despises me, he doesn't want me here as much as the next guy." Eugene said nothing at first, having me once again feel a bitter on myself for blabbing at him and feeling so pathetic for dumping my woes onto him. He scooted a bit closer, not close enough for me to touch him, but close enough for me to notice as I looked over at him and he gave me a sincere look of compassion.

"I want you here," He replied to me calmly, a smile slowly coming to my lips and yet it still felt a bit painful. We were still good on a talking basis, whenever we would have time we would talk some more and we were growing as close friends. It was safe to say that he was my closest friend in Easy, and he was once again trying to look out for me when I knew that this closeness that we had been going to be blowing up in our faces later in the war. This was dangerous, friendships in the war were dangerous, at least that's what I was taught. I was taught to be on my own, to look out for me myself and I. But Eugene was changing the picture on that after all.

I heard more people walking over to our table, the both of us looking over to see who it was and it was more Easy members, three more. Johnny Martin, Bull, and Malarky were walking over to sit across from me and I was a bit confused as to why they were there with their own food. I would think they would want to sit with the others.

"Boys?" I asked them now as Johnny looked up at me. I knew he was a stern one with the others in the company, but he was good enough as a soldier.

"Sobel doesn't know a thing or two on how to talk to a soldier properly, so we're still going to sit with you no matter what he says," Johnny explained to me as Malarky grinned at me and Bull nodded in agreement. It was like they were silent flipping Sobel off since he hated how I was colliding with his own men. More and more Easy company members were sitting there with Eugene and they and I were sitting down like it was another dinner night. I was still in shock from what was happening, and they were grinning at me like I was one of them, one of the soldiers in Easy. They were trying to prove a point with me, that I did belong with them and they did want me there like how Eugene said.

"Fuck that guy if he's going to downgrade a woman, not to mention a Lieutenant, like you," Guarnere said to me in a huff now as he ate some of his food.

"For the first time, I am agreeing on Gonorrhea on this one," Joe Liebgott added from his spot next to Bull. The boys snickered a bit now as I saw Eugene cock a grin too. I had to smile now as we were now talking once again about regular things and boring conversations, Sobel was no longer on our tongues. They were trying to make me feel better, and it was working. Slowly but surely it was working. And it was making me realize that they were living by the motto that I was trying to avoid: rely on each other and hold each other up. I was meant to be alone, but they were trying to show that I was indeed meant to be with them.

In a way, they were trying to adopt me in their family.

* * *

I stood in front of the building that had a bar inside where the men were celebrating their jump wings. Everyone was in thier dres greens, including myself now for the celebration within the cool night that was coming over the area now. They were given a party so earning their wings and becoming paratroopers, and I too was invited since I did get my own wings technically. But why did it feel like I was not supposed to be there?

I felt like, once again, I was out of place.

"Hey," I looked over to see Eugene, in his own dress greens and the medic cross armband on his sleeve and a big grin on his face. I was taken back for seeing him standing there, and for some reason was once again getting butterflies within my chest from that smile he was giving me and how handsome he was there. It was another case of me forgetting that I was not meant to have these feelings towards my friend.

"Hi, Eugene," I replied back to him, seeing him motion to the building now with his thumb.

"You goin' in?" He asked me, giving me a hopeful look like an innocent puppy dog. He wanted me to join them and be a part of their own world in that building there. I was still on the fence, though, since I myself was still trying to get used to the boys individually and not miss my girls a whole bunch back at Toccoa.

"I don't know," I said to him in almost a hesitant manner, not sounding like me at all since I was supposed to be a Special operations kind of Lieutenant that was not going to be worried about the thoughts of others. I should be above this, but since Sobel yelled at me and already had me realize that he hated me, it was killing my own internal thoughts on myself.

"Come on, you deserve to go in there. Don't let what Captain Sobel told you to hold you back," Eugene tried to persuade me now as I looked back at him again from staring at the holding now. Who knew that this gentle lamb of a man would try and punch me into doing something like this, and I saw him slowly reach down to grasp my hand. Once our hands touched, for some reason, I felt a spark within our skin meshing together and it was almost an out of body experience for me. I looked down at our joined hands, then slowly looking back at Eugene again and he was slowly tugging me along now.

"I don't wanna go in there alone and be the only one who's sober," He reassured me, having me chuckle now since I knew he was telling the truth. He was slowly getting under my skin and within my own head in both a good way and in a bad day now. I had to be careful around him, which was a first with our constant talks and our frequent stories about our homes in Louisiana. It was like he was a kindred spirit for me to feed off of and to find solace in. I wondered if he thought of the same and then wondered how my own head was being jumbled over one guy and how he would talk to me or even look at me. Why was I feeling this with him?

"Okay," I merely replied, the both of us walking together, hand in hand now and it felt like he didn't want to let me go as much as I didn't want to let him go.


	6. Chapter 6

June 23rd, 1943,

Camp Mackall, North Carolina

"Lieutenant, keep an eye out for both battalions and single when they are in range," The leader said to me now as I nodded at him.

"Yes, sir," I replied back to him and I walked away as he was getting ready to walk away and do his own observation of the drill. It was high morning now with a cool weather coming in and the woods were quiet and tense now as I walked along the woods now, hearing out where each one of the men where and seeing how they were positioned. They were going to another training ritual with their position of men and how they can move throughout the land, going by maps and using other tactics. Since I was Speical Operations, the officers running the training asked me to be an observer and give my opinion as to how they can improve. This day, as no surprise to me, Easy Company was running the drill now and they were being slaughtered.

Every goddamn time.

Sobel was once again leading them into a death trap with his inexperience on reading a map. I would help, if he wasn't a dick to me and still now sore with me being attached to his group and apparently bringing them down. Since he yelling spree on me, the men in Easy were being more friendly to me and less to him behind his back. They were still following his orders, but whenever he wasn't around to order them, they would gravitate over to me little by little to make sure I was doing okay. I was still being shunned by him, and now Winters and Nixon could see it. They too were kind, having me be glad that I was in his group after all.

I was walking through the silence of the woods now, seeing another battalion creeping up and hiding behind one of the rolling hills there, a good tactic for them now as I looked ahead to see if I could find Easy. I knew they were coming this way, from how Sobel was going to read his map, he was going to one again lead them to a trap. So I decided to once again climb to get a better view, throwing my rifle back over my shoulder and reached into my front pockets of my belt. I pulled out two fingerless gloves, which on the palm were four sharp blades for each, no longer than a finger and already sharpen and ready for use. They were called Shuko hand claws, best for climbing trees and walls. I grabbed a pair when Captain Mathews sent them over to me as soon as we made it Camp Mackall, which made me happy to know that my Captain was looking out for me then.

After I got the gloves on, I started to climb up the side of the tree nearest me, digging those claws in each stride and I was pulling myself up more on my upper body strength than anything. Most of the trees, including the one I was climbing up, were barren enough to be easier for me to glide enough, but harder for me to be hidden. I got up within 20 seconds, landing on a tree branch thick enough for me as I walked along the branch now to see the ground beneath me and stretched out. I could see all of the woods there that we were training in, having me walk quietly now as I was trying to spot the Easy men and their positions.

After a few strides with my feet, I finally found them and they were huddled together within one of the man-made ditches as Sobel and Winters were looking at a map, Sobel already looking confused. I glided over to the edge of the branch, jumping over to the other branch in front of me and landed without making a sound. I was glad dot know who to get from tree to tree without making a single noise, Special Ops was coming handy these days. I was over them now, no one dared to look up now as Sobel was muttering to himself.

"We're in the wrong position," he said now, having me roll my eyes now. I had no more respect for him, even with him being a Captain now as Winters spoke up to him.

"We're in a textbook position for an ambush, sir. I think we should sit tight, let the enemy come into our killing zone," Winters tried to explained to him now as I looked at the others in the company. I could tell they were getting a bit agitated with their captain, not knowing what to do and if the should move yet. Joe LIebgott was there, Talbert was next to him, a handsome young man named David Webster was looking a bit meek about it all, Joe Toye was about to snap someone's head off, and of course, Eugene Roe looking nice and quiet.

My feelings for the medic were getting more and more confusing as the months came and went, us talking together and joking with one another about the simpler Louisiana ways of life that the others had no clue of. I was glad to know another Cajun, to befriend one in the war, but it was more critical that I was liking him more as a friend. I had to admit it, I really had it, that I liked him more than with the friendship between us and it was terrible. Not that the feelings were terrible, they weren't. I loved talking to him or even having quiet moments with him, I adored his smile and how his face lit up every time he would see me, hearing his voice was like hearing a lullaby within my slumber when I was once again dread about the night.

But it was also not me at all.

I doubted he would like me back, I was too complicated as a person, not to mention trained killer and sniper. He should belong to someone who was gentle, someone who was more like them and less like me. Eugene deserved any other southern girl who was beyond beautiful and beyond graceful with her words and with how she would walk. Then there's me, someone who was trained to break a neck and trained to not get attached. I had long arms, too long for my mother's liking and my was not even close to being pretty compared to my sister. I thought I wouldn't have to worry about that when I signed up to be in the army, but since I met and talked with Eugene, I started to fear what I was looking and acting like in front of him. What in the hell?

"Captain, you've just been killed, along with 95% of your company." I was brought back to the leader of the drill walking over to Sobel now as the other company was aiming at Easy, who was out in the blind open area now after moving to another spot that Sobel chose for them and the Easy members already looking defeated about it. The instructor walked over with his notepad out and ready as he stood next to the defeat Sobel, "Your outfit?"

"Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506," Sobel replied back to him now with the sound of defeating his voice as the rest of the men, including Winters, were giving him the look of death. I could only say up there in the branch now and say nothing since I had no right to, only to observe and not say a word about it really. They were all slowly hating him more and more within their eyes, I could see how thy were drilling him and wanting to just get rid of him. Some most than others, in particular, Joe Toye who looked like he wanted to strangle him. Eugene, on the other hand, was more subtle about it and less of a tyrant with his stare.

"Leave three wounded men on the ground and report back to the assembly area," The leader instructed him now as he walked away and walked over to the other Battalion. I had to look down at the group now as Sobel looked like he was about to burst in anger now as he was cursing under this breath. He then looked up at me, and I saw the hate in his eyes now as he was about to say something to me.

"Lieutenant Bellerose, well done with the observation," The drill instructor said to me now as he was looking up at me with his own notepad in hand. The others looked too, joining Sobel with a bit of shock there on their faces from seeing me high in the trees. Sobel was still eyeing me like he wanted to shoot me off the tree, and I only stared at him back before taking my eyes to the instructor now.

"Thank you, sir," I replied back to him, seeing him nod at me before walking away again and I walked over to the area too, knowing that most of the men in Easy were watching me now in shock and in intrigue. I was once again the bit rapture of their attention. But this time, I was not going to let it get me down at all. I was going to be stronger than that now as I knew that the Easy men wanted me there with them, to train with them. I was glad to have men like the ones in Easy, like Joe LIebgott and Bull, Guarnere and Johnny, all of them already saw me as one of their own. Even the quiet and soft spoken Eugene Roe, and for some reason I could tell him looking at me as I was walking away.

I didn't mind it, not at all.

* * *

"If he gets us killed one more time, I swear I'm gonna shoot the bastard myself," Joe Toye said in a bitter manner now as we were once again in our dress greens and ready to hop onto the next to train that was going to move us out to the new area, which we had no idea where we were going to. The drills were once again the hot topic and how the men were really losing their minds and sanity to the one man. I knew where they were coming from, I could tell it was eating at them and the aggravation was only going to be worse now as I walked over to the men now who were all talking together. It was Cobb, Joe Toye, Liebogtt, and Shifty as Shifty look up and over at me with a small smile on his face.

"Heya, Bellerose," He said to me now as I walked over to the group in my own greens and my hair in a bun on the back of my head.

"Hello boys," I said to them all, "Hey Shifty. How are we doing today?"

"How do ya think?" Joe Toye asked me with a gentleness there since he knew not to talk to be sharply now, "Sobel's been on our asses as of late,"

"I can't believe the guy can't read a fuckin' map," Joe explained to me, hesitating now since he used a vulgar word in his sentence, "Sorry."

"None taken," I replied to him, seeing him look at me in a bit of shock.

"What?" He questioned.

"He can't read a map, you're right. He's a bit jumpy for certain," I admitted to all of them, seeing them crack grins at me from what I was tell them about Sobel, "But listen, don't worry about him too much. Just do you training, and try not to grumble about it in front of the other officers or you'll be questioned about your loyalty." I was trying to make sure that they weren't going to get in too much trouble now since our time in the war was about to start and the last thing that they need is to start an upsizing.

"We can't stand him, Lieutenant." Joe Toye tried with me, and I nodded in agreement.

"I understand, but if there's one thing that the army will never tolerate, it's the disobedience of a soldier to his officer and captain. Trust me, Sobel ain't worth ya'll being sent home before the action happens," I explained to him, seeing them all look at each other to see if they were going to agree with me. They could be in more trouble than what it would be worth from just talking about Sobel in a bad light, and with one officer overhearing, they could all be court-martialed and sent home before they could blink.

"Does that mean you're gonna report us, Lieutenant?" Liebgott asked me now with a snark in his tone, the rest of the men watching me now as I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Technically speaking, I'm not an official officer out here, according to your Captain….so…nope," I replied back to him before I hear someone calling out behind me.

"Lieutenant Bellerose, Lieutenant Winters wants a word with you in his quarters, ma'am." A private said to me as I looked over at my shoulder at him. I saluted him and looked back at the boys now, seeing them all look a bit better about our conversation now as I walked away from them.

"Hey, Lieutenant," I looked back to see Joe Liebgott smirking at me again now as he pointed at me, "Isn't there something we can call you either than Lieutenant?" I grinned at him, seeing his point since this whole time, I never gave out my first name. They only knew my last name, and the only other person who knew my first was, in fact, Eugene. The rest of the men had nicknames for each other, and rightfully so since now they wanted to call me something other than lieutenant. I thought about for a moment now before answering them.

"You boys can figure it out for all I care."

* * *

"Eh, what are you gonna do?"

"Nothing, just keep training the men," I knocked on the door with my knuckles, peeking my head in to see both Nixon and Winters there in the room now, talking to each other and they both looked over at me. As soon as they saw me, they grinned.

"Come on in, Lieutenant." Winters said to me now as I walked in and took off my cap.

"Am I interrupting?" I asked him now.

"No, just talkin' a bit about the training, and I wanted to talk to you to get your input," Winters explained to me now as I looked at him in a confused manner.

"Input?" I questioned. I saw Winters looking over at Nixon now to see if this was appropriate to talk about whatever they wanted to talk about with me about. Nixon cleared his throat a little but now, Winters sitting down in his chair as Nixon finally spoke up.

"We were talking about the last couple of drills that Sobel put the guys through and we wanted to hear what you had to say about it," Nixon answered. I felt like I was about to be placed in an awkward kind of a pickle with this conversation about Sobel, but then again this was only with the Lieutenants, not any of the other soldiers like the ones who I talked to mere seconds before. I felt like I was in a pickle, an awkward one.

"Dick here was telling me how Sobel isn't really ready to lead the men into battle with his lack of map intelligence," Nixon explained to me with a smirk on his face, in which Dick eye him and shook his head.

"Lew…" he trailed off, Nixon nodded in agreement.

"Okay, he didn't say it exactly like that….but let's face it, the guy can't read a map to save his own hide," Nixon replied, having me see Winter than pipe up from his spot in his chair now.

"How well can you read a map, Lieutenant Bellerose?" He asked me now, inquisitively as I thought about it for a moment.

"I'm a bit rusty, but I can read one fine none the less. Map reading wasn't my strong point, but I'm bearable at it," I answered him truthfully, seeing Nixon roll his eyes and walk away from us now as he reached over to grab something in his bag then.

"I think he freezes up when he's about to go a battle drill, don't you think, Lieutenant?" Winters asked me, having me feel once again like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I was about o say something to him, then I could get in trouble if he decided to go and tell Sobel. but then again I doubted Winters was one for being on Sobel's good side since clearly Sobel was not on his. Winters saw my hesitation, having me seeing him chuckle and smile at me.

"This conversation is not going to leave the cabin, trust me," He reassured me now as I felt like I could take a sigh of relief. How was I going to phase it for him and not sound inconsiderate?

"It seems to me that he's not ready for battle," I replied, Winters looking over at Nixon and Nixon grinning.

"Told ya," He replied, having us hear another set of footsteps and we all looked to see another officer walking in, looking heating like he as he was walking into another conversation. He was a bit short than the other three of us with small curly hair that was shaped right for the army.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked the same question that I asked some minutes or so before hand. Nixon grinned at him and shook his head.

"No, no," Winters replied as he got up from his chair and walk over to him as the man took off his own cap too, "Lieutenant Lewis Nixon, this is Lieutenant Harry Welsch, just in from the 82nd." He introduced the man to Nixon, then pointing over at me, "This is Lieutenant Bellerose from Speical Operations with the Black Mamba Unit. She's working with Easy for the time being."

"Pleasure," I said to him.

"Nice to meet you. Never thought I would meet a Special Operations member out here in this God-forsaken camp," he said to me as we shook hands and then he looked over at Nixon, "Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thanks, if you wanna call it that. You'll learn him pretty quickly. No flaws, no vice, no sense of humor." Nixon replied to him as they shook hands together.

"Just like your chums up at Battalion staff?" Winters asked Nixon now almost like a tease as he turned his attention to Welsch again, "What's up?"

"I'm hearing a lot of rumblings," He replied to us with a huff to it, all three of us looking at each other now.

"Sobel? We were just talking about that," Nixon said back to him.

"So, he gets a little jumpy in the field?" Welsch questioned us all.

"He gets jumpy and then you get killed," Nixon replied back to him.

"Well that's nice," Welsch commented.

"Yeah, listen, if we discuss it, I think it should be just amongst ourselves," Winters advised him now, but looking at the rest of us in the room and we all nodded in agreement.

"Oh, absolutely." Welsh voiced, it had to be agreed and I was all for that as well. But then we were once again interrupted, but this time, it was by Sobel himself. We all stood at attention in front of him, me by Welsch, Winters in the middle and Nixon at the back now as Soble was at the door frame looking at each of us. it was almost like he knew we were talking about him and that we were just finishing our rant about him. He looked hesitant himself, almost like he was unsure about himself there and we just stared right back at him.

"2nd platoon ready?" He asked them, looking at all of us once more, but we knew he was talking to Winters.

"Ready sir," Winters replied back to him.

"Then get them into formation, we're moving out." He replied back shortly now to Winters, motioning with his head.

"Yes, sir." Winters replied, moving out now and out of the room with Welsch leading the way. Sobel watched them now and looked back at Nixon and me who were left in the room now. He stared at the both of us now, then looking right at me and having me feel another wave of hate coming. I knew it was going to happen, I just knew it.

"That means you too, Lieutenant Bellerose," He said to me calmly now, not short like he used to, but calmly. I was a bit surprised as he walked away and took a bite out of the apple he was eating and I slowly looked over at Nixon now, seeing him already bitter at Sobel and he eyed me back.

"Have fun with him," he said to me in a snort as I rolled my eyes and walked out of the room, not wanting to add anything else to it since he was right. Who knew where we were going to head that day, if we were going to be in Europe or the Pacific, but we were going to have a grand time with Sobel there leading the way.

Leading us to our graves.

* * *

I walked through the small walkway in the train carriage that I was in to find somewhere to sit, most of the posts were taken up by the officers and I was just looking for another empty seat for me to find my peace again. After having another rousing conversation with the officers about how we basically hated Sobel, it was giving me a headache just thinking about him and how much he hated me. I needed a breather, and since most of the men there were already dead asleep and it would give me time to write home.

So far, luck was not on my side now, but towards the end of the carriage, I found an empty spot open now against the window, and the men sitting next to it was Carwood Lipton, a respected man from Easy Company who all the men liked and saw him more like the father figure. He too was a soldier who would look out for others, mild natured, but a genuinely good heart was in him now as I smiled at him.

"May I sit here?" I asked him.

"Of course, ma'am. Please do," He replied, shoving his stuff out of the way for me as I planted myself in the spare chair now and faced him. He was always a good person to all, knew the value of leadership and how to look out for the others like they were his own brothers.

"I take it didn't want to sit up with the other officers?" He asked me now with his small smile on his face.

"No, I think you would be of better conversation any who," I replied to him, seeing him blush a bit as I pointed to the letter he was writing on his lap, "Are you writing home?"

"To my wife, yes. I haven't been able to for about a week or so," He explained to me now as I got comfortable in the train chair, "She sends me her love from home."

"Where's home for you?" I asked him.

"Huntington, West Virgina," He said back to me now, "Do you miss your home, back in Louisiana?"

"How do you know where I live?" I asked him kindly.

"The boys told me, Doc mostly. He mentioned that you two were from the same state," he replied, having me grin bigger now that he mentioned Doc now in our conversation, "He sees you as a good friend here in the company."

"He's a good man, a good medic too," I voiced to him, not wanting to say anything else really now sine it would feel out of place for me for say something unprofessional to him now.

"Know what I know of Eugene, he doesn't gravitate to some of the guys, not like the others. He's more on his own…except with you." He voiced to me, having me stay silent again now and we had a moment or two of it. I don't know if he was saying that to let me knowing that he knew, or just with polite conversation, but I could tell he was now going to try and fix the conversation.

"I miss my home plenty, Lipton," I answered him finally, seeing him grin at me once again now, "New Orleans this time of years is pleasant."

"I've never been there, but I hear it's quite a place," Lipton voiced.

"Oh, it is. I miss the music there, all of it and the food there too." I replied back and smiled from there thought of the food and the music throughout the night, "I remember sometimes sneaking out as a child to go and see some of the bands in the bars when I was a teenager, all of the zydeco music."

It was the one thing I missed about that place, the music. The beautiful music.

* * *

I fell asleep on the ride and I opened my eyes again, seeing Lipton left his chair and that left me alone there in that area of the train carriage now as I blinked a bit and rubbed my eyes. The train was still going alone, having me look up and around a bit to see where we were outside in the landscape, but I couldn't tell at all from what I was seeing, having em lean back in my seat now and look out the window for a moment or so. I was dreaming that I was back at home once again, back with my family and nothing else changing around me, like I haven't made the choice to go to war. What would have been my life if I would have stayed there if I wasn't bold enough to take a chance and go out to find my own way in life? I would have been stuck, suffocating on the breath that my mother would have wanted me to breathe.

"Olive?" I looked over from the window now as I saw Eugene there in his dress greens, looking at me with a curious look there. He looked a bit concern like he wasn't liking what he was seeing there with me against the window.

"Hey Eugene," I said to him softly now as he stood there in the aisle, not moving for a moment or so before he pointed to the empty chair.

"Can I sit?" he asked me so carefully like he was about to tread on the glass. I smiled at him and nodded my head. He then walked over, swiftly and lowered himself into the seat there and I arranged myself a bit to face him more as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, "I thought you would be with the officers."

"I decided to be back here instead, too much officer talk for me," I admitted to him now, seeing him nod his head and lean back in his chair a bit, "Where were you sitting?"

"Next to Spina, I decided to walk around a bit and stretch my legs," he explained as he tapped his legs with his hands and smiled, "I saw you back here and I wanted to say hi since we haven't talked in a while."

"I know," I agreed, feeling a hint go guilt of not being able to talk to my good friend for a bit since we both were busy without training, "I don't think Sobel likes the both of us talking to one another. He thinks I'm a bad influence."

"Like hell you are," he replied back instantly, having me look at him in shock now from the language.

"Eugene!" I said in a gasp.

"It's true, though. I think you're a good influence on the guys….and me," he passed before ending it, having there be a moment or two of a pause now before he spoke again, "My mother wrote to me and told me about the weather in Louisiana."

"Did she?" I asked him, seeing him light up a bit now, "What's it like?"

"Want me to read it to you?" He asked me, having me nod as he pulled out the letter from his front jacket pocket and unfolded it now. I sat there with a girl on my face as I watched him smooth it out, his mother's handwriting was against the paper now and it looked so elegant with a history behind it as he as started to read it.

 _"Eugene,_

 _The summer days are filled with warmth here at home, the breeze brings in the sweet smell of the tall grass out in front of our house and the moist air of the bayou at night. You loved that smell, it makes me think of you and miss you more and more as the days go on. The fireflies are coming out, hundreds of them on the surface of the water now..."_

As he read this to me, I found myself leaning over to him a bit but not too much as he read me the letter that reminded me of home. I would sneak a look over at him every one in awhile as he read and I would see his profile, his handsome profile of a face that was not meant to be handsome from appearance, but of handsomeness of his kindness and gentleness to others. That's what made him appealing and handsome to me, not to mention his dark eyes reminded me of the sea of a cold winter's night, which was more appealing of him. I knew I was in trouble with him.

I was in deep trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

**September 6th, 1943**

I have never been on that big of a boat before if you want to call it that. It was mostly a ship, and we were on our way over to England now since we were stationed there for the rest of our training. Because I was the only Special Operations officer there on our end of the ship, not to mention one of the only females as well, I got my own quarters, much to Captain Sobers' dismay. I was with the other lieutenants but on the other side of the hallway, which was good neigh for me and but clearly to Sobel since he was not really liking me being around his breathing space. But all in all, it was fine, it gave me more time to get to know the other lieutenants and men not he ship, including Welsch who was a Pennsylvania native and worked he way up through the ranks in the 82nd.

He had a girl waiting for him when he was going to head home named Catherine, or he would call her Kitty for short. The way he spoke about her made me see that he adored her and loved her more than life itself. It was so romantic and such a fairytale story, it was almost making me jealous of him now and how he had someone to look forward to coming back home. I didn't, not counting my parents or my sister who was still getting used to the fact that I was a trained killer in the army. It was already an indicator that something was missing within my own life.

The other men were getting used to me, both in leadership and with friendship. I was liking them, every one of them and how they were showing their pride in the army and how thy were getting ready for the war. Some of them were looking forward to it like it was a football game they were playing it: With a bit of cockiness and adrenaline through their veins. Others were more along the lines ready to kill the Germans as if it was going to complete their purpose on this earth. I could see them all reacting to their duties as soldiers in a different way, and I didn't know where I myself was placed.

I finally went below deck and weaved my way through the skinny walkways and tight corners over to my own quarters when I heard something going on, almost like someone was running in a frantic state. I was a bit confused as to who ti was and why it seemed so frantic, but I saw it was George Luz and he looked out of breath.

"Lieutenant, you need to come quickly to the bunks!" He said in a panic now.

"What happened?" I asked him as he approached me and pointed behind him.

"A fight broke out and we can't stop it." I sighed, not really feeling like I had to play peacemaker but since a soldier came up to be for help, I really had no choice in the matter now since he came to me for help, and the last thing that we needed on their hands, was a couple of guys getting written up and being in more trouble than what it's worth.

"Lead the way," I said to him now, seeing him had ahead now and I was jogging right behind him to keep on his trail.

"I didn't think of anyone else to go to since we figured you would be lenient with them," George explained as we turned the corner to go down the steps now. It made me a bit frustrated now since they would think of me as a safe person.

"Don't think that I'm going to get you guys out of every pickle you get in," I tried to scold him now, but he just sighed and looked bak at me now as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"You gonna tell Sobel?" he asked cautiously.

"No, but this is the only time that I'm covering up ya'll asses." I advised him now, seeing him cock a small grin at me and we went into the large barracks where they had the bunks upon bunks piling high up. I could hear the fight already, happening in the middle of the room now and others were trying to get whoever I was fighting off of each other now. Most of the men in the room were just watching and not knowing what else to do now as I moved away from Luz and over tot he is now with a fast rate. I was now saving my way through the crowded men and hearing more and more of the meant trying to tell whoever was fighting to stop. Nothing was getting better now, and I had no choice but to use my voice now.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed as I shove my way into the center now, seeing the men innately move out of the way for me and no one saying a single word now. There was nothing to be heard in the entire large room, all except the two men who were separated from each other by both Malarky and Bull now. Bull was holding back a bloody-lipped and black eyed Guarnere, and Malarky was holding back a busted up Joe Liebgott with a bloody forehead and a fat lip against his bloody teeth.

"There is not fighting here since it's against protocol," I said out loud for the group of men around us to hear since it felt like I had to be the officer in charge of the group there. My face was stern now as I had my hands out to both of the men in case they are about to do something to one another. I looked over at Guarnere who shouted a bit aggressively now with Bull's grasp now and I snapped at him then.

"Take one more step, Guarnere and I promise you I can make sure that you'll be in more trouble than you're worth," I wanted him in a threatening tone, seeing him stop moving now since he knew I meant business with him and was not playing around. Everything was still one again in that large room. I didn't want to make the situation worse now as I lowered my hands slowly and regained my posture.

"Bull, take Guarnere over to Spina and get him patched up," I said to Bull now as he nodded his head at me and I looked to Malarky and Liebgott, "Malarky, come with me and we'll go to Doc Roe and get him patched away."

"I'm fine, Lieutenant," Joe tried to grumble to me since I could tell this was going to be a pinch against his pride and his reputation.

"Of course you are, which is why you're bleeding out all over the floor here," I said to him in another authoritative manner now and he was once again quiet, I had to look back at Guarnere now and make some sort of announcement like this. I never wanted to act like this in front of the men, but then again I wouldn't want them in any kind of trouble because of who close we were in the war.

"Don't think I'll let this happen again. If there is one more fight that breaks out, I will report it to the officer in line, understand?" I asked the group allowed, hearing nothing from them and seeing some of the men shift a bit in their spots uncomfortably. They knew I meant business, from how I was standing in a stern stance there in the middle of the circle, how my eyes were looking at the group like they could cut glass, and how I used my voice like I was making a public service announcement. I then walked over to Malarky and Joe.

"Malarky, let's go."

* * *

"Hold still Liebgott or you'll make it worse," Eugene warned him as he was dabbing the wound on Joe's forehead. After we got him to the medical quarters and into his own room under my supervision. I sent Malarky back to his bunk and I was watching Joe getting himself back together, giving him a minute or so of silence before I was going to talk to him now. My jacket was flooded up and placed on the table now next to Joe, leaving me in my white shirt and combat pants and boots with my hair pulled back in a ponytail and my eyes

"What happened back there in the room?" I asked him calmly, crossing my arms in front of me now against the wall as I was analyzing him from his spot on the medical table and his hands in his lap. He was still looking sour about it, a bit beaten up and shaken from where I was and I could tell he was trying not to show it.

"He made a comment, ma'am." he replied to me now, short once again as he squinted a bit from the sting of the medicine on his head where Eugene was applying it.

"A comment?" I asked since it didn't seem like it would make any sense.

"It was a smart comment that I didn't like, an offensive one," He answered me back again and I eyed him once more to try and figure out what he said that might have been so hurtful to Joe Liebgott to the point of fighting another soldier. It was still weighing him down, I could tell how he was sitting there on the table and how he was staring dead ahead.

"What did he say?" I asked, trying not to make it sound like a command or anything now as he said nothing for another minute now. He didn't want to say it, I knew he didn't want to and he would rather bite his tongue off completely now.

"Liebgott," I said to him in almost a commanding tone now but wanting to remain calm with him.

"He called Sobel a Son of Abraham," He said in a bitter snake-like manner that made me also lose a breath from how he said it. I was not real familiar with that term, but I knew what it meant since the world was still cruel to creation people in certain places. It wasn't a pleasant term that was thrown around lightly, and it was supposed to be mean to sting. Even Eugene looked at him in a small look now since I could tell he knew the term too. It was slang for Jew.

"From where I came from, ma'am, I never accept that term as a term of endearment but as a term for a fight," Joe explained to me some more as Eugene moved away from him now and got some of the gauzes with his blood into the trash bin now.

"I won't say I know how that feels," I said to him, trying to find a way to talk o him without him getting mad at me, "But I am going to say that I don't want you to get in any more trouble, even if that means me asking you to turn the other cheek to slang like that."

"You want me to ignore it?" He asked in a low manner.

"I want you to make the better decision as a young man in the army. You're not in your home anymore, you're not going to have that same freedom that you had in the past to raise your firsts and defend yourself over a simple slang. That freedom is gone now, and it's up to you to find out what to do with it," I answered him back truthfully since I knew it was true for all who enlisted. They no longer game the freedom that once had when they were mere citizens. He eyed me then, almost realizing that I was not scolding him but more teaching him the ways of the army and how limited his choices were now. He sighed, looking back down in his lap as I crossed my arms in front of me again.

"Get yourself back to your bunk and rest up. I don't want to see you in another scuffle that could send you back home before you even see action, okay?" I asked him, hoping that I was getting it though his head and he nodded in agreement.

"You got it, Lieutenant," he replied back to me, looking up at me now and having me give him a small smile now. He hopped up from the table and walked over to the door before looking over at Doc now who was silent the whole time and gave him a smiling nod, "Thanks, Doc."

"You got it, Liebgott." He replied to him in his low murmur now before Joe left the room altogether. I was finally able to breathe then, moving my hands up to my face to rub my eyes now and sighed in relief that it was over. I leaned against the wall now and felt like I just ran a race or brought up a fight with mere children.

"That went well," Eugene replied to me out of the blue, having me look over at him with a risked eyebrow and a tried look on my face.

"You think?" I asked in almost a croak, seeing him crack a grin at me now as I smiled back, "It felt like I was scolding child more than anything."

"Well, it could have been worse, you know?" He asked me now as he faced me against the medical table, crossing his arms in front of him again and eyeing me from his spot.

"How much worse?" I countered back with him now with no idea what he was talking about.

"With Liebgott, much worse since I know he's a bit of a loose cannon," he answered me back now as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, already feeling a headache coming on now from the recent talk with Joe.

"If he doesn't watch his mouth, then he will lose it one of these days," I murmured out loud to myself mostly.

"Good thing you were there then," Eugene said to me now, having me open one eye at him and stand back up again.

"Well, with at that being said, I'm gonna go and head back to my room now and try to sleep off this headache, thanks to Joe." I said in a grumble now, feeling like crap since I would want to talk to Eugene a bit more, but my own head was telling me no. As much as I loved his company, I needed to get another round of rest in me from breaking up and fight and talking down to a soldier.

"Here, take two of these for your head," Eugene said to me now, handing over the bottle of aspirin to me from his medical bag. He held the bottle out to me now, having me reach over after a moment or two now and our fingers touched again. It was another spurge of sparks within my fingers and hands because of one simple man whom I developed feelings for and cared for more than I care to admit. I grabbed the bottle carefully from his hands, looking down at his own hand that was empty and how it was shaped. I didn't know why I was looking at his hands, how smooth they were and sometime soon they were going to be tainted by blood.

"Thanks," I said to him now finding my words again from zoning out for a moment of two. This was getting worse and worse now as I then smiled at him.

"You're welcome, Olive."

* * *

Once I was back in my quarters again all by myself, I was glad to have a sigh of relief from all that has been happening, making me go over to my bunk now and sit down to take off my boots. It felt like a relief to take them off, then pulling off my socks and having my toes touch the ground now and the coolness beneath my skin. I brought me back, back to when I was younger and within the ballet studio of New Orleans. I remembered dancing with my bare feet before my slippers, it made me smile from the whole thought of it. These days, I was thinking more of the army and less of my times of a dancer, it made me miss it more and more now. It was like what I had to Joe, I lost that freedom when I sing my life away and I was aching for that kind of freedom again.

I slowly arched my foot, leaving my toes onto the floor to feel that stretch again and I sat there like it was another one of my stretches that I would do when I was in the studio and getting ready to dance. It made me remember the smell of the wooden floor, the bright natural light of the sun going into the studio room. It was one of the only pleasant memory that I had of New Orleans, nothing was tainted and stained from my family and how they wanted me to act and be like. I slowly rose up from the bunk now, no longer in my lieutenant mind but back within my ballet dancer mind now. I kept my eyes closed, thinking back to a routine I did mere months before I decided to leave my old life for good.

 _"Let us begin." My teacher instructed to me now as I got into my 1st position and she placed the record on the player and got the needle ready for me. I stared into the mirror now, my eyes right on me and how long my body looked with the toned legs and arms and my hair in its high bun. I felt like I was free when the music started to play once again and I begun my slow dance._

 _It was from Beethoven, String Quartet in C Sharp minor, OP. 131, a slow tragic song that my teacher wanted me to do for a recital. I was swaying with my arms and lifting up onto my toes with a flick, rolling my body with the twists and turns that would remind me on how to move like the willow branches along the bayou waters in the wind at night. I turned on my left foot, pointed and grounded to the earth as I spend slowly in a circle and landed gracefully now. The song was haunting and sad, almost like a tragedy and yet I was making it more elegant with my dancing movements of my arms and legs._

 _"Well done, Olivia," My teacher said to me as I ke_ pt _going with the song now and only wished that I could fly from there, fly far from my home, from Elliot and from my worries that were going to come back and haunt me for good._

I landed back on my feet again, opening my eyes and realizing that I was backing reality, having em stand there for a moment or two and drink in the fact that those days were far behind me now. Who know if I was going to dance again, whether it was when I came back from the war of if I died. M dancing days were pretty much over, and yet there I was, dancing all by myself within a small quarter on a ship to England. I might have done it as a memory for me to hold onto when I knew my time on this earth was probably going to be short, or to have something positive to in a world of negativity.

I heard something move outside my room, having me walk out and move the door since it was cracked open. I poked my head out, seeing no one in the hallway now and then looking down, I saw my combat jacket there on the floor. I forgot I left it there in the medical room with Eugene after I bought in Joe to be examined. Was it Eugene that brought it back? I wondered as I reached down t grab my jacket now, holding it with my fingers and looked up and down the hallway again,

Who brought back my jacket?

* * *

 **September 18th, 1943**

 **Aldbourne, England**

"Aim," I yelled out to the men now, seeing the row of men now with their rifles aiming right in fronton them with their bayonets out and ready to use as we stood in the green fields of our new home. I was teaching them rifle classes, getting them better and better with their skills on a rifle and how to use them in multiple ways than one. The more we were using these classes for the men, the more they were getting ready. Welsch had some men in the classroom and Lipton was teaching others how to dig ditches that would help them in the war. I was more prone to the rifle, my higher reputation as a 1st lieutenant was having em teach not only the Easy company mane but others as well in different companies. I was getting the reputation was the Rifle Handler amongst the men, much to my dismay.

"Fire!" I bellowed and the shots were going off and the men were looking up to see where they were shooting.

"You need to get used to the weight of the bayonet on your rifle or else you will be shot if you can't carry the weight." I instructed them as I walked in front of them now and they were looking at their own rifles with the knives sticking out at the end, "The element of surprise is within those bayonets. If you can't shoot with one on, take it off and stab them."

"With a bayonet?" Private asked me now, having me nod my head and then grab my own bayonet from the rifle.

"A bayonet is just as good off a rifle than it is on," I explained. placing my rifle in my hands and the bayonet already on the end, "You have seconds, privates. Precious seconds to take one off and stab your enemy so that you are not the one dead." I then grabbed the handle of the bayonet near the end of the rifle, twisted my wrist and seeing it pop off my rifle and then holding out, horizontally now like I was about to stab someone with it on the throat and the men watched in awe.

"You all can only get your bayonet on your guns within 10 seconds, I'll teach you how to pop it off and attack with it," I explained to them all, still holding out my bayonet in front of me, almost like a threat to any one of the men who were about to walk over to me. I was trying to get them ready for anything that could come their way. Sure, ti seemed a bit unorthodox that I was going to teach them to kill with bayonets in a new maneuver. But I might as well try to keep them alive.

"Let's begin, get your rifles ready."

* * *

"How did it go today?" Eugene asked me as we were walking together now down the street, the two of us since we both were done wit hour duties and were going to go over to the local bar within the town to just get our minds back at ease. He was engrossed with his medic training, which was more intense than it was in camp Toccoa with longer hours and more procedures that he was working on and practice. I could tell it was eating on him with the bags under his eyes and how he was walking a bit slower every other day. I could feel it too, the long hours of training the men and my own training of running and combat training.

I was the only Special Operations Lieutenant there in Aldbourne and since we were stationed there, we were getting to know that won a bit more now. The boys were staying together in some of the houses and others in the barn then to get more room and more men there. I was the only one who was staying on my own, and I found a place that they were going to give to me as an old flat from a couple who already fled from the town because of the fear of the war. It was a bit of a luxury for me to have it all to myself though it was a bit cramped but nice enough for me to handle.

"Tiring but fine enough," I replied back to him as we were walking side by side now, the small cramped street was in front of us now as we were walking together and my hands shoed in my pockets, "I didn't think of how tired I was after I did the training."

"Same here, I don't think I want to look at another wrap of gauze for a long time," he joked with me, having me look over at me in the nightlight and raise an eyebrow at him now.

"Did you choose to be a medic in the first place?" I asked him, seeing him shake his head.

"No, they made me a medic straight out. At first, I didn't think I would like it, more like a poor excuse for me really. But I kind of like it now, better than killing Germans." He said to me, the last part was almost a hesitant remark now as he said it, looking over at me as I looked ahead with that sentence in my head. He didn't want to kill, this was his choice.

"Olive…." He said to me, having me shake my head.

"I asked, and you answered the question," I replied to him simply and in a short stance now. Eugene then grabbed my arm, having me stop and face him as we were standing there in the middle of the night in the almost deserted town now, seeing his sincere eyes on me now as I watched him back. I knew him well enough that he was going to try and apologize to me for what he said.

"You're not a killer," He said to me in a statement, trying to make it better for me.

"But I am, or at least I'm going to be," I said in a shrug of my shoulders, "I'm a trained killer and what you said was the truth, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Is that why you came in the army then?" His question made me go quietly now once I was thinking about it, long and hard as I didn't tell him the real reason as to why I came into the army in the first place. It wasn't to serve my country, it wasn't to be a better person. I joined because I was a coward and I didn't want to face my future with my family, I joined because I was reckless and I wanted more within my fingertips, and maybe I joined to get me closer to death. It sounded morbid and sad, but it was also a fact.

"I don't know myself anymore," I said to him simply and quietly, seeing him slowly lower his hand from my arm and out of his grasp. He knew I wanted to drop the conversation and fast since it was such a killjoy to talk about.

"I don't think you're a killer, Olive," He said to me in reassurance now as we were just standing closer enough to each other to talk softly, "You're good leader and a good friend, but you're not a killer."

"Thanks, Eugene." I simply replied since I was still in denial that I was not a killer and Eugene was only trying to make it better for me. I then shuffled a bit in front of him and shoved my hands in my pockets again and looked up at the clear night sky, seeing the billions of stars there and having me grin, pointing up to the sky with one hand, "I never thought I would be this cold."

"Kinda makes me miss Louisiana a bit more now," Eugene commented back to me as I lowered my hand and looked back at him, feeling my hair flowing in the wind a bit now and the crisp air curling though the street.

"God, I miss warm nights there. Not warm like Georgia nights, but warm enough where you can sit outside and just…I don't know." I replied with a smile on my lips from the thought of the summer nights back at home.

"Do you think we'll ever be able to go home?" Eugene asked me now, having me look at him in confusion from his question.

"What?" I asked him with a breath of a laugh on my lips.

"I mean…. I know some of the guys are talking about it and all and I can't help but wonder too….if we're ever going to be going home." He said in a thoughtful tone.

"I would hope so," I said to him.

"You sound like you don't want to go back," Eugene replied to me in a statement, having me now think of my family again and what I left behind to come here and find myself and what I could do. It did sound more dreadful for me to go back, almost like a prison there and for me to accept it. I had to come to the realization that when I enlisted, I was basically asking for death.

"Not really," I admitted to him, seeing him cock his head to the side at me.

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"You don't want to know," I explained, thinking it would be silly for me to tell him all that drove me to the war. But how he was looking at me said otherwise.

"What if I do?" he asked with a shrug of his own shoulders now. I knew then that he was not going to stop being my friend, he was going to keep talking to me whether I liked it or not, whether I was careful or not. He was making it more of a comfort to have peace with him in times of woe or confusion, even just standing near me he brought me the feeling of content and happiness. These feelings I was having for him were getting deeper, only because we were both willing to go into this war and not know if we were going to come out alive on the other side. At least I was ready to die, but not that I liked Eugene Roe from Louisiana, it was a more bittersweet feeling than anything.

"Okay," I said to him now, seeing him grin at me and we walked down the street, having me start at the beginning with my story and how I came here.

It was a good start for us.


	8. Chapter 8

I remembered that day, very clear in my head as I was walking down the street a bit now with Welsch and some of the other guy were playing basketball out there in the streets and the sun was now high up a bit now in the sky. Welsch and I were once again talking about the men in Easy and how we can get them better on the right foot when a jeep stopped in front of us and a private hopped out. We both looked, no longer walking and the private looked right at me like he was on an important mission. I remembered him from the states when he was hanging on Sobel's every word. Private Evans. Oh boy.

"Captain Sobel's compliments to you, Lieutenant," He said to me as he handed me papers and I took them without breaking due contact with him. For some reason, I could tell he came from Sobel himself and he saluted me briefly before walking away before I could even salute him now. It felt odd to me as Welsch spoke up with the jeep driving away.

"What's that all about?" Welsch asked me now as I then looked over at him, seeing him look at the paper and I did the same too. I scanned through the words, having me sigh bitterly and almost crumble the papers within my hands from the news in my own grasps. It was another blow to my ego and what I was doing there, and here I thought I was doing so well.

"He's court-martialing me," I said in a low tone, Welsch grabbing the paper now and looking at it himself since he was in disbelief.

"What in the hell? Since when?" He asked me now as I looked back at the paper, more than anything wanting to set the paper on fire.

"Since I'm the only female in the goddamn Battalion, that's why," I muttered back to him, moving away from him now and rubbing my face within my hands now to make sure that I was going to collect myself from what I was really feeling.

"He can't do that, can he?" Welsch asked me now as I watched the jeep going down the street a bit more now, almost to the end of the street and stopping right in front of two others, in their uniforms and the same private hopping out and getting the papers ready to hand to one of them. I realized who it was, Dick Winters and Lewis Nixon. Winters was getting papers too, it was all going downhill from here now.

"He just did."

* * *

"You understand why you are getting a court martial?" Sink was standing before me now in his office and I was having my hands behind my back and my look dead ahead. Later that night I was summoned to Sink's office there where I knew I was going to be questioned about my loyalty to the group and my work ethic, and it felt like I was going to be on the short end of the stick before of Sobel being there in the room now. He stood behind me, almost in the darkness since there was a fire going in the fireplace and is office was cozy enough.

"Not specifically, sir," I replied back to him, already feeling Sobel right behind me shifting a but since he didn't feel like I was saying the right answer for him. Sink eyed me then, sitting up on the office desk there and crossing his arms in front of him like I was about to had an ass whopping from him.

"Captain Sobel here has brought to my attention that you were acting against some of his orders to not participate with his men in the training exercises since they are only for the men who are permanently in his company." I kept my eyes straight ahead and not said a word, but I knew throughout those words that it was pretty much a bold faced lie that Sobel was going to use against me.

"Am I to understand this to be true, Lieutenant Bellerose?" He asked me now, having me try to think of a way to say that it was no true but not sound like an idiot.

"I was assigned to help Easy in way possible, and as an officer here in the army, it was my job to be part of the training processes that the men were going through," I explained to him now, seeing him still analyze me from his spot near his desk. I only hoped that it would work then and there, but then Sobel once again spoke up behind me and having me really wish that I could turn around and punch him in the face.

"Sir, she is not a permanent member of this company, and the men have been and will be distracted with her presence there and not keeping them focused on their training," Sobel explained to Sink with his low baritone of a voice and how monotone it sounded.

"You think she's a distraction, Captain?" Sink asked him, no longer looking right at me.

"I do, Sir," he replied without a second to think about it.

"Name one incident where she was a distraction that was severe enough for the men to lose their focus," This time, after hearing Sink ask him that question, I heard nothing behind him now as I was thinking that he was going to think of something to say against me now.

"Tell me, Lieutenant," Sobel said to me now, looking back at me after the moment or two of silence now, "Have you been tardy to one practice session?"

"No, sir." I answered.

"Have you been performing your duties less than a lieutenant's duties?"

"No, Sir."

"And have you been ill towards any of the men that would question your ranking here in the army, treating them unfairly?" Yea asked me the last question now as if he would think that I would treat any of the men with disrespect.

"Absolutely not, sir." I answered him back one more time, seeing him then sigh and looked from me over to Sobel, not getting up from his spot on the desk and walking over to the fire, both Sobel and I were not moving at all since I didn't know what to expect from him now, whether I was going to be sent back to the Black Mamba Unit or not. With Sink, he was in the air when it came to how he viewed me. I never really talked to him, it was the others who were talking to him about me and nothing more than that.

"I've heard quite a bit about your unit: Black Mamba. Your unit it the only all-female unit thus far in the US Army. We were skeptical of your unit from the moment it was conceived and brought to the table as an official unit. However, after hearing the good and honorable praises from the other Lieutenants in this company, I was a bit on the wrong side of things. The reports I'm getting from the companies that Black Mamba is aiding is quite good, better than satisfactory." I was hearing all of these praise from him, and I was making sure that I was going to me collected in front of him though I wanted to smile from how Black Mamba was bring approved.

"I'm pleased with the progress of our men and how they were getting more and more ready for the war ahead. I can say with whole honestly now, from hearing the praises of the Lieutenants in Easy and Captain Matthews himself, that you are a good tool for this company." He smiled at me, a small kind smile that I would think he would hardly use these days.

"Thank you, sir." I thanked him, thinking of nothing else to say now as I heard Sobel shift a bit behind me now.

"As such, since I have the both of you in the same room, I'm going to keep Lieutenant Bellerose there at the company and I'll make sure she has a platoon under her command as one of the snipers," Sink explained to the both of us, but mostly to Sobel since I could tell his voice was getting a bit sterner now.

"Sir—" Sobel was about to a rogue with him, I could tell in how he said it with a bite to it.

"She has not done anything that would deem as a worthy thought to send her back to her unit and demotion," Sink asked at him now as I stayed staring ahead now, not wanting to flinch or anything from how he was making it sound like a scolding than anything, "I advise you that whatever grudge you have with this Lieutenant who is a good leader and soldier, whatever it is, and get it out of your ass before you get yourself in far more trouble than what it's worth. I don't want to be the Captain who tries to kick out a Lieutenant from a Special Operations Unit that is already being decorated in the army with praises. Don't make yourself the first and only one," I heard nothing else from Sobel's mouth now, like he was slapped across the face and nothing else was worth coming out from him for trying to kick me out now.

"You can go back to your quarters now, Lieutenant," Sink said to me, looking back at me again and I saluted him one more, so glad to be out of that office and not being sent back home somewhere else. As much as I hated being the outsider with a group of men who were always looking at me back and forth to see my every move, I was somewhat still glad to be back there with Easy, with the only men that knew me well enough not to question me anymore.

"Thank you, sir." I thanked him finally.

* * *

"Lieutenant?" I was rushed over by a bunch of the men now, seeing me exit the building and walk not the cool crisp air now of the dark night. Everything else in the area was quiet except for the steps of the men running over to me now. I saw that there were at least 7 or 8 men running over to me with concerned looks on their faces. I could make out the faces of Luz, Muck, Bull, Christenson, Joe LIebgott, Talbert, Guarnere. The last one who said nothing but looked a bit concerned too was, of course, Eugene.

"What happened in there, Lieutenant?" Bull asked me in a huff now as the others were looking at me to like they were waiting to hear the result from a trail that was bigger than usual.

"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked the group now since it was already a disbelief that they would see me out here themselves. It was a bit out of the blue.

"We heard you were court-martialed," Johnny Martin explained to me as the others were nodding at me as well, "We wanted to stay up and hear what happened to you and if Sobel got go you,"

"He's a prick, that's what he is," Guarnere said in his gruff of a tone, having me shake my head at him and not wanting him to say anything else that could get him in trouble.

"Don't say that, Guarnere," I wanted him now, seeing him eye me with a hint of shock there since it sounded like I was defending Sobel, something he did not see coming at all.

"What did he do to you?" Christensen asked finally, the infamous question now and I knew they were thinking that it was the worst. Most of them, if not all of them, knew how Sobel thought of me and how he wanted me gone from the moment I was assigned to their company. Even Eugene looked at me with a hint of fear there in his eyes as he was towards the back of the boys watching me now with his big puppy dog eyes.

"He didn't do anything," I replied to him, seeing them all slowly look at me in shock and not say a word, "Sink told him off and I'm staying with you guys. He even assigned me some of you guys in the battalion."

"Well, shit!" Talbert said in a grin now and the others were looking just as shocked from the news now and a couple of grins broke out on their faces.

"That's ballsy that's for sure," Joe commented with raised eyebrows now and Luz chuckled.

"I would pay to see the look on Sobel's face," Luz said a grin now and then he made a face that looked just as close to Sobel's as he has done before, "Don't lean in my company or else it's weekend passes provoked."

"Did a vein pop out of his head?" Muck asked in a light manner, in hopes that it was true and the glee on his face.

"Sink let you go, just like that?" Johnny asked me, still reeling on the fact that Sink didn't punish me at all. Eugene looked confused too now since ti didn't make sense in his mind.

"Just like that. Trust me," I reassured him and the others, some of them sighing in relief as if they were waiting with the last breath to see if I was going to leave them overall. I didn't think they would be that concerns about me and Sobel and how he was trying to handle me. So I had to ask them, really ask them what they were thinking about this, "Ya'll looked a bit concerned for me."

"Well..given how Sobel works and how much of a dick he is—" Joe rambled a bit as the guys were now shifting a bit uncomfortably for me calling them now for their concern.

"Liebgott," Johnny warned him, but Joe kept going now.

"He didn't think he was going to let you go pretty easily, let alone have you make it out alive." Joe ended his rant with me, having me look at each of the men in the eyes and see that it was true. They were wondering if I was going to be either be sent home or have some kind of shame ironed on my back, all because of Sobel and how he would treat those who were not in his favor.

"Well, looks like you guys were left out in the dust with that," I said to them all in a light manner, rearranging my jacket I was wearing and they smirked at me. I didn't think being sincere was a good turn with them, I had to keep it light and simple for all of us involved, "Now I suggest, yawl go back to your barracks before he comes out here and get yawl in trouble with no more weekend passes."

"Like that would ever stop us," Muck joked with me.

"Come on, you heard the lieutenant," Johnny said to the others, seeing the rest of the men give me small waves before walking away and back over to their areas. Joe and Eugene stayed behind, Joe walking over to me now and clasping me on the shoulder.

"Glad you're here, Lieutenant," He said to me and I grinned at him, seeing him walk away now before he fished out a cigarette and placed it between his lips and light it. I was glad I was there too, seeing the men and how they were relieved to know that I was not going to leave them or abandon them to Sobel like I would abandon them to the head wolf.

It left me there to stand with Eugene now, seeing him shove his hands in his jacket pockets for a moment or two, eyeing me with a small smile on his face. I was just glad to see him there again, after the near firing experience I had with Sobel and Sink. I didn't know what else to do with Eugene there in front of me but just smile at him and see my breath leaving my nose through the cold night.

"It wasn't too bad?" He asked me timidly, his voice sounding deep out of the blue between us now.

"Not as bad as I thought it was going to be," I admitted to him, seeing him nod his head, "I knew Captain Sobel wanted me gone and he was going to go whatever it took to get me out of here." He said nothing for a moment or tow, and before I knew it he walked over to me and wrapped me arm around me in a hug.

I was stunned, not doing anything for a moment or so and just let him hug me there and have me feel the warmth from before, but way more now all over my body from him hugging me. I didn't think he was going to do something like this to me, or to anyone really. He was more reserved, even with me too from time to time, and I knew he did that on purpose because of him being a medic and having to hold people away within an arm's reach. But this felt different, very different for me since he was holding me close a with a hug or relief or a hug of admiration for me. Not to mention this was our first real hug with one another.

I slowly felt my own hands wounding around him as well, hugging me back and not wanting to ruin the moment we were having there in the middle of the street. Sure there was a fear that someone, including the powerful ego driven Sobel, can come out and see a Sniper and a medic hugging each other. But then again, I didn't want to it end as selfish as that sounded and feel like in my heart. This felt right to me, a bit out of place since we were both in the army and our perennial lives had to be placed in the side, but ti was still right none the less.

Of course, he pulled away from me shoved his hands once again in his pockets and giving me a hesitant look. I only hoped that he didn't mind hugging me as much as I didn't mind him hugging me. At that point, I was missing his hug already. God, I was getting pitiful.

"I'm glad you're staying," Eugene said to me with a small smile on his face. He was back to being his calm self again, still a bit on the reserved side and collected compared to the others. I was glad he was that okay, never bold or loud or ready to fight with anyone. No, not with Eugene. He was gentle enough, a force to be reckoned with and a fierce loyalty to the men from the moment I met him and heard him from the others. But it was just enough for me that he considered me a close friend and admired me from afar, it was what I needed.

"Me too, Eugene. Me too."

* * *

December 25th, 1943

Aldbourne England

It was Christmas time there in England, and though there wasn't too much snow there on the ground or in the air, and we were buzzing around with more training and the war was getting closer and closer to us. After plenty of classes through strategy and concepts of war, along with more and more drills coming in and out of the of the fields and surrounding areas to help with the upcoming battle.

But when Christmas came around, we were given a break.

Most of the Captains were fine to give their soldiers the day off because of the holidays since it would seem as though rest was needed. Even Sobel, though it was like pulling teeth from Sink to tell him to do it, gave Easy the time off for the day. They were pleased as punch, being able to lounge about to give each other cigarettes and other trinkets as gifts, almost getting packages from home that were for Christmas that came just in time.

Me? Not so much.

Apparently my parents were still out of the loop on where I was, and in the recent letter from home from my sister, they both finally realized that I was not in Boston for the dance company, and they were hounding my sister on where I was. I knew the secret was about to unfold at any moment, and the letter reminded me that they were going to find out and they are about to unleash punishment on me at any moment. It was not how I wanted to have my Christmas really, wallowing in the lie I gave to my family, but then again I never wanted to have the Christmases I had in the past with my family in the first place. This was going to be a new Christmas for me.

I found myself walking through the village of Aldbourne on Christmas day, only a couple of other people there out and about now and talking to each other in excited tones and whispers about the new year and what was going to come ahead for them. What was I going to look forward to? I was still in another company, away from Black Mamba and missing them everyday. I was away from my home on the other side of the world where my family was not really knowing where I am and if I was coming back to them. I was still navigating where I was in this war and what I was meant to be doing there. It was all still jumbling my brain.

"Lieutenant!" I looked up from my thoughts and how my eyes were on the ground seeing the small amount of snow there hitting my boots. I was wrapped in my peacoat and my leisure combat attire, mostly black and dark gray now and my hair was pushed behind my ears to show the tint of pink there.

"Talbert?" I asked as I saw him jogging over and grinning at me, There was snow in his hair now and he stopped in front of me on the sidewalk and saluted me. I saluted back and I saw a couple of people walking by here and there still.

"We were looking for you," he said in a huff from running over to see me, "A bunch of us are having a get together over at one of the houses that have been deserted. The officers are coming over too, we were wondering where you were and if you wanted to come over too."

"Sounds like a Christmas Party." I voiced to him in a grin, seeing him chuckling along with my sentence.

"I kind of is, you should come." He voiced to me, almost like he was waiting for me to say yes to him. They were still wanting me to be a part of their company, their unit, and their lives. it felt like a second home for me to be with them, to get to know them and understand where they came from and what made them tick. Even when I was feeling crappy about my home life, they were trying to make it better without even thinking about it themselves. Hell, it sounded better for me to go over there and talk with the men instead of sulking around in the town on my own.

Why not.

* * *

The house was in full swing when Talbert and I got there, walking in the front door and most of the Easy Company men were inside and around the house with beer bottles in hand and laughter there to be heard. There were some of the Christmas decorations already up and the fireplace alerted going with a warm toasty fire that already made me warm when we walked through the front door and some of the men were there in the foray.

"Heya Bellerose! You finally decided to show up!" I grinned for hearing Johnny Martin talking over to me now and most of the men were grinning at me too. it was like they are almost a bit drunk from whatever was going on, either the fact it was Christmas or something else happened with their beers. But they are in high spirits, which made me look at him in confusion as I shrugged off m peacoat.

"What's with all of you. I feel like you guys are celebrating more than just Christmas tonight," I joked with him now as Johnny just smiled and took a sip from his beer now.

"Guess who's no longer leading Easy Company?" he asked me, having me freeze a moment to let it drink in and then look at him with wide eyes and almost my mouth falling open from the news. It had to be some kind of joke,e but on how they were all acting like it was the real thing.

"Sobel? You're joking." I said to him as Talbert handed me a beer bottle in hand now and Johnny shook his head.

"We would ever joke about something as sweet as Sobel's ass being sent back to the states to train another set of sorry ass privates," Talbert replied back to me for Johnny. It felt like a huge rock was off my rock, eyes were off of my stance, and my breath was now easier for me to get used to and use now since Sobel was no longer in the picture now.

"How in the hell did that happen?" I asked as I was walking through the house with Talbert next to me and then Johnny was talking to Grant and Bull about some joke.

"After he tried to court-marital Winters, Winters wanted it by trial and he won basically, Sink faintly telling Sobel to head back to the states and train the new recruits coming in sine apparently he did a great job with us," Talbert explained to me as we were weaving our way through to the kitchen now and I saw more of the guys at the table, talking toe each other about past Christmas stories and adventures.

"Swear to God, the turkey was burnt to a crisp and almost looked like a black boulder now as it was sitting there on the table. My poor ma, she thought he ruined the whole thing for sure, but my dad was more pissed since he couldn't carve the goddamn turkey!" There was a chorus of laughter heard for the table as the men were laughing from the story told my Luz, of course with his cheeky grin there on his face and I moved through the crowded kitchen and Luz kept going on with his story. As much as I wanted to be in this house, which almost felt like a frat party really more than anything, I wanted to find Eugene since it felt more peaceful with him around and less chaotic.

"Where's Eugene?" I asked Talbert over another round of laughter from the kitchen.

"Doc? He's out back and having a beer out there, not much for celebrating with us, unfortunately. But you know how he is," Talbert explained to me, having me smile and clasp him on the shoddier now before moving way from him and over tot he back door of the house, thinking that once I got out there I would be able to clear my head again and at least have a cigarette. I didn't know why this was all bumming me out, the situation with my family, no longer having Sobel there in the company to command them, and wonder what else was going to lie ahead for me in the war and my role as a sniper. It was looking more blurry than anything, more chaotic and less clear.

The night sky was cool and crisp, almost like the edge of the sword now as I walked out and stood there within the small backyard that was bordered off with bricks. I could see some grass here and there along the ground. already looking dead from what I was guessing was the war or the pre-war going on. Everything was quiet out here compared to the house inside and the men in there, yet they are still a bit on the quiet side since the were all still under the contract and the officers were going to show up anytime soon.

"I didn't think you were going to come out here," I heard Eugene's voice now, having me look over now and see him against the railing there with his arms there on the railings and his hands folded there in the air, looking over at me with a small smile on his face and his black hair almost hiding in the night out there we were in. He too was holding a beer in his hand, but he looked more content there outside with no one else there to other or yell near him. I grinned, walking over to him and standing next to him against the railings. Mirroring him I placed my arms on the railings and folded my hands there in the air. I could tell why he wanted to be out here, it was so nice and peaceful here with plenty of silence there to think with one's thoughts.

"Wanted to find you, since you weren't in there with the other guys," I admitted to him as we took there side by side, having him shrug his shoulders from my explanation.

"I prefer not to be around them a whole lot," He answered me.

"Why?" I had to ask him that.

"I'm not like them," He admitted back to me now, having me look at him in question and wonder now as he said it like it was such a fact than anything else, "I don't have any real great stories to tell them, and I don't think I'm as interesting as they are."

"I think you're interesting," I replied to him without a second thought to it, seeing him look over at me now with a genuine look of intrigue there on his face as I took a drink from the beer I was holding.

"Why do you think I'm interesting?" He had to ask them, not having me look at him in confusion and wonder how as to why he was doubting himself with his interesting way of life and how he was with the others. I did think he felt a bit on the other side compared to the others, not fitting in with them like how the others were fitting in as well. He was different, and it wasn't that the other didn't like him, he was part of Easy and they did accept him and called him one of their own. But I knew where he was coming from, I knew what he was thinking about when we were talking about this.

"For one, you're not as brash as the others are in there, and what you do have to say to them, they take it to heart. You may not be as loud as them, Eugene, but they highly respect you." I explained to him fully, seeing that it was sinking under his skin. It was so true for him, they looked as him as almost as high as an officer because he was their officer, but only because he was the head medic for the men and they are going to be seen by him more than once one the war started.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." He thanked me now, having me grin at him softly now and see him smile back. No matter how bad I was feeling with the crappiness of my own chaotic life, I knew Eugene needed a pick me up really more than me since he was one again feeling out on the edges of the groups that was forming within Easy.

"You're quite welcome, Eugene." I thanked him.

"Olive?" He asked me, having me be taken back a bit now when he used my first name, even my nickname that I told him to use. No one else, not even the officers, has ever used my first name ever since I was introduced to Easy. It's always been my last name to them all, but with Eugene, it was different. In a selfish way, I loved hearing him use my name on his lips since it sounded like it would be like coffee going down my throat.

"Yeah, Eugene?" I asked him, understanding now on the other side that I was one of the few ones in Easy that called him by his first name and not Doc.

"You don't call me Doc," He stated having me nod in agreement now, "Why is that?" I never questioned him calling me Olive, but now it was Eugene that was asking em for my now name to give to him when we would talk to one another. I had to think about it for a moment or two now, wondering what I was going to tell him and admit to him.

"Everyone else calls you Doc, even the officers," I explained, seeing him not say a word or two to me now as I went on, "I prefer your first name anyhow. It fits you better than Doc." I didn't know whether or not that it was how I phrased it, or just the fact that I admitted to him that I loved his name, but something within him was shifting and I saw him reached over slowly and I watched him do this. He grasped my hand, a gentle grasp really since either he thought I would kill him from touching him or squeeze him too hard.

Our fingers were linked together, already having me look down at our hands together and see that it felt like I was seeing colors for the first time. Once again, those feelings that I was trying to bury and not have come to the surface was coming back all over me again, having me really try not to show it on my face at all and see him lookout me all flustered and out of place. I was taken back, back to being home in Louisiana and having an innocence all over me once over.

It was like I was thinking of a memory that was not all about the war that I was in now, but it was filled with the warmth of the sun in Louisiana and the smells of the food that would flood the streets. The sounds of music from the street players and the colors in the air at night from the lights and the neon signs. All of my sense were awoken now from our just holding hands, I have felt that with someone else before not to mention another man whom I never saw coming.

"You're very kind, Olive," He said to me in a low tone, his voice was almost like a rumble now as our hands were still connected between us now and his head was a bit closer to me now. I was slowly forgetting that we were in a war, that we were soldiers and we have a different ranking between one another. it felt more personal like we were just friends talking to one another at a house party.

"As to what, me being a bitch?" I asked him in almost a playful tone, hearing him chuckle and his tone was low and soothing to hear as he chuckled there. I didn't know what was happening there between the both of us, how we were slowing inching towards each other and not even realizing it like we were in our own world now and I felt like we were about to hit that line that was always going to be afraid to be crossed.

I was taught to be careful, especially with others who were not part of Black Mamba, and this was one of those moments when I knew I was maybe going to break a rule now. The war hasn't even started yet and it felt like I was to jump out a plane from how close I was with Eugene and how my own body was going along with it. I didn't know if it was because I trust him the most in Easy, or that we were good friends at that point and knew more about each other than I bargained when I met him, but something was once again shifting between the both of us that could but be a thrilling thing for me to feel, and a disaster at the same time.

We wer about to kiss.

Someone threw open the back door in a bang, Eugene and I moved away from one another now in a jolt like someone was shot and it freaked us out. He released my hand, having the both of us look over at the back door now with a few feet between us and it was Perconte now, looking at us with big grins on their faces.

"Come on in guys! We're going to sing some Christmas carols inside!" He said to the both of us, having me finally move away from the railing without looking a bit hasty there and needing to just breathe in and out. I followed Perconte over to the back door now and walking signed, trying to get the pure thoughts I had about Eugene and bury them once again. I was a sniper for God's sake, and now I was thinking about Eugene in a way that I knew was both inappropriate, yet thrilling at the same time. I had to bad for him, and I almost kissed him and messed it up.

Merry Christmas to me.


	9. Chapter 9

**May 31st, 1944**

 **Upottery, England**

"Your upcoming mission is here, along this region," I was standing with some of the other members of Black Mamba, all who made it over to England now and we were getting ourselves ready for the upcoming jump into Normandy that was right in our radar. Black Mamba was going to going on another mission, which was going to lead me away from Easy for a few days until I would go and find them again. I was reassured that we were going to go in on a simple mission and it will be no problem. But it wasn't the mission itself that I was going to be anxious about.

It was the whisperings of the other soldiers.

Black Mamba made their home in Upottery, with the other companies that were getting prepped and ready for the jump that we were told was going to happen at any day. However, with the cool and foggy air that was coming, it seemed less of a dude thing that we were going to get in the planes anytime soon. Now it was a waiting game, but Black Mamba was planning for than waiting. We had to make sure it was perfect. Beyond perfect, with no flaw in sight.

With Captain Sobel no longer in the picture, Easy Company had another Captain to follow and to train after, which was much better for them given what they went through with their first Captain. It was almost like they all had a breather, regaining another leader under Meehan and how he was calmer and collected compared to Sobel. Things were working out okay for the boys, and I was glad for him. It also had me help them with their training on map reading, more sand table analyzing, and, of course, weapons.

Easy Company was going to be top notch for certain, and, of course, it made things between Eugene and I both comforting and complicated. Comforting, since when he wasn't training with the other medics and when I wasn't training with Black Mamba, we would talk between meals and even on our down time. Complicated, because my feelings for him were almost to the point ofThey were still training hard and getting to the point where I knew it was going to get me in trouble, deep trouble. Why did it have to be him, and why me of all people with the kind of training that I have? Was God playing a trick on me? I hoped so, and I had to find a way to make it less of a pain and fast.

"Once we reach this area, we are going to need to get in rather quick to disarm the area and the communication," Captain Matthews explained as he was pointing to the certain part of France where we were going to be nestled deep in enemy territory that no one else, Special ops wise, wanted to touch or even consider as an Operation. Of course, it had to be us, Black Mamba, going to be as daring as were supposed to be. It was fine by us as we were taking notes in our heads.

"Thus far, from what we gathered, we won't be seeing anything out in the open when it comes to enemy fire, most of it will be hidden within those houses and hillsides. Our mission is to get into this town undetected and unannounced, get to the main source of communication and dismantle it so that no more German troops of tanks can come through from the backend and take our boys by surprise.'' Matthews was going on with the plan now as Harper spoke up from next to me.

"What kind of weapons are we going to bring with us?" Harper asked in curiosity.

"We're going to make it light, nothing bigger than a shotgun since you're going to bring it with you on your jump into our landing zone about 10 miles out, as long as we keep it quiet and take out any soldiers with silence, nothing is needed that will be bigger what can be concealed," He answered her.

"After we fulfill this mission, are we going to have a pick-up point in order to get back to the companies we're assigned to?" O'Neal questioned him.

"We're going to take you from here," He pointed to another dot, on the other side of the map that was a bit farther out from the town and we could see that it was rather isolated and no even close to any other citizens or towns.

"Your companies that you are assigned to know of your need to make this mission in Special Operations, and you will go back tow here they are along the lines of the war and you'll be with them until another Operation comes into play," Matthews ended that conversation with us now, standing up completely and pointing to the map with the finger, "This is the start of your reputation among the other Companies here in the army, and I know will be making waves whether this Operation us successful or not," It was like he knew what we were all thinking, at least, what I was thinking. The closer we were getting to the war and jumping into Normandy, or Wherever I was jumping, I was getting more and more nervous with what was going to come and what was going to be held for me. It was one thing to talk about it, plan it out on a map and go over different scenarios and the different weapons that were going to be used, but it was another thing to actually live it and embrace it with both hands out in the open and ready for release. Was I going to make it a few hours? What about a day or so? I knew I was good, I trained to be good, better than good. But it would be different than being all the way out here and having combat gear on you.

It was a bit different from being a ballerina for sure, almost completely.

* * *

"Can you believe it? We're actually going on a mission!" O'Neal said in a gleeful manner as we were walking out of the tent now and along the grass that was there, our boots hitting the moist earth as the others in Black Mamba was walking right behind us, talking together and already thinking about the drop we were going to take. We didn't know when we were going, as long as it was along the same time as the rest of the American Army was dropping too.

"It's practically here I guess," I replied back to O'Neal.

"Who knew that we're going to be the first all-female Special Operations in this war," She voiced again, almost like she was trying to make me, even more, nervous than I was. She could see it on my face, how I was not saying a word about it and thinking it more and more with my own self and brain. She chuckled, clasping me on the shoulder and I had to look at her then, seeing the youthful look on her face and how she didn't look like a soldier to me, almost like a teenager who was caught up in this whole thing.

"You think too much, you know that?" She asked me in a heartfelt manner.

"I can't help it," I replied back to her, thinking that Lying to her as one of my closest friends in Black Mamba would really not be a good thing to do in this moment, "You're not the last bit scared about it?"

"We're all scared, Lieutenant." She admitted to me in her cool ways, "But what we're going to have to go with that fear is going to be different from how the men are going to have to deal with it. They might have the option to be afraid or not, but we don't have the luxury. Hate to say it, ma'am, we can't afford to be in fear for now on."

She had a good point. Fear, for lack of a better word, was something that was never meant to be in out category. We were the outsiders already in this war, the ones that would forever have some kind of stamping in history whether we liked it or not. People were going to look for us, for either hope or in anticipation. Either way, the world was going to see us and either recognize us as heroes or failures.

Which one was it going to be with us?

"Lieutenant Bellerose!" I was taken away again from my thoughts again as I was seeing Winters in front of me again, walking over to me with another soldier right behind me and it looked freshly new to the area. O'Neal rolled her eyes and looked over at me as Winters and the soldier behind him.

"Look like you're going to be occupied for awhile, find me when you're done, okay?" She asked.

"Of course, O'Neal," I replied back to her, seeing her walk away with the rest of the girls, and they were all saying goodbye to me. It was like they knew I was going to the other side with the men, but were they bitter about it? I hoped they weren't and I wanted to know how they felt about it. Then again, we all were assigned to another company to help whole we were waiting for our Operations to come into play. We all were helping others, but it felt different to me.

"Hello, sir," I said to Winters as I approached him there in the middle, the man behind him grinning as he eyed me up and down in awe.

"I want you to meet our new second lieutenant in Easy, the two of you might be working together in the future out in the field. Lieutenant Compton, this is 1st Lieutenant Bellerose from Black Mamba Unit of the Special Operations branch," I looked at the man behind Winters and I saw how piercing blue his eyes were, almost charming in a way as we shook hands. I could swear he was from the west coast, in howe we shook hands and the smile he had. He was a charmer for certain.

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. The men talk plenty about you and how you're with Special Operations," He explained to me now as I eyed him too, thinking that he would somehow try to woo me then with that smile, it almost felt like it.

"Those men already talk plenty about me, I'm used to it that point," I reassured him, seeing almost taken back a bit from my own react to him. Maybe he wasn't expecting that from me, almost being bolder than what he thought I would be for him. Winters clasped the man on the shoulder now and grinning at me.

"I was about to take him over to the rest of the guys and get him all squared away, care to join us?" He asked me, having me nod in agreement.

"Of course, sir," I replied back. I was going to place the Operation I was going to be a part of to the side, not wanting to bring it up anymore and one again be in fear of it. O'Neal was right, I had no room for fear from what was going to come, there were far more careful things to think about to worry about.

Not fear.

* * *

"—Linking Ohama and Utah into one continuous beach-head. Each trooper will learn this operation by heart, and know his and ever other outfit's mission to the detail." I was sitting in at the edge of the mass board that was placed right in the front of the mass group of paratroopers and soldiers, who were sitting on in Meehan's lecture as to what was going to happen and where they were going to land from their jump. Black Mamba was in attendance for the sake of the men knowing of our whereabouts and for us to know where we go to after our Operation as been fulfilled, we too needed to know this all by heart if something were to happen.

"Lt. Meehan?" Duke man asked from the back of the room.

"Yes, Dukeman?" Meehan replied.

"Sir, are we dropping tonight?"

"When it's time for you to know, we'll let you know. In the meantime, study these sand table, maps, and recon photos until you can draw the map of the are by hand. Now, we will drop behind this Atlantic wall five hours before the 4th infantry leads at Utah." Meehan explained to the men again as Dukeman sat back down and some of the men were busting out cigarettes to either calm themselves or pass the time. I looked at the others in Black Mamba, in our black combat hear and attire as we were standing there along the side. We were stone-faced, also looking at the board but also dead ahead now as I did the same, thinking of the plans ahead.

"Between our assembly and the Battalion's objective, there is a German garrison, Right here in this area, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Easy Company will destroy that garrison," Meehan explained now as he then pointed in our direction, "Black Mamba is under strict orders to help with the destroying of this garrison as they are going to be landing near Chef-du-Pont, going along in the dead of night and destroying any means of communication that could jeopardize Easy's way of taking over this town." The men looked from Meehan to us now, most of therm were looking at me. I was the Black Mamba 1st lieutenant assigned to them, so they knew me by now of knew of me. None of them knew what I was going to do in this war, it was all talk mostly. But now they were about to get a taste from hearing what I was about to do.

I could see them looking right at me: Malarky, Skip, Sisk, Shifty, Johnny Martin, Guarnere, Libgott with his cigarette in his mouth, and of course, the one person whom I was merely afraid to judge me on any kind of level: Eugene. He looked more puzzled about it than anything, but the way he was looking at me almost felt like he was trying to read my thought to see if it was true. It almost looked like he was hurt from what he was hearing, from what I was about to do.

He could be hurt, I didn't think otherwise. After these months talking together on our down times, the plenty of stories that we swapped together about Louisiana and how those hot summers turned into adventures for the both of us, we were rather close now. I didn't know how he felt about me, since I knew he was any anymore reserved about how he felt with the other men who were in his company, and he even admitted that they taught him, as a medic, to be an arms length away from the men since it would be too hard for him if one of the men dies. He had no time to mourn for the dead, he had to be the strong one and carry one, he was no allowed to be emotional since his job was the most enduring and intense of them all. So it would be no surprise that he wouldn't tell me anything about how he felt.

Eugene Roe would forever be a mystery to me.

* * *

 **June 4th, 1944**

"Thee-day supply of K-rations, chocolate bars, candy, powdered coffee, sugar, matches, compass, bayonet, trenching-tool, ammunition, gas mask, musette bag with ammo, my webbing, my 45, canteen, two cartons of smokes, Hawkins mine, two grenades, smoke grenade, Gammon grande, TNT, this bullshit, and a pair of nasty skivvies!" I was walking by the boys at the proper moment when they were getting all of their gear packed up and ready for the jump that w thought was going to be that day, out there on the airstrip and the anticipation of war hanging over our head. My own things were over with Black Mamba, in which most of us were already packed with he light equipment that they were going to give me, a few weapons and rations if we were to get lost or away from our group. It was the day that I thought was never going to come as I heard someone calling out my name.

"Bellerose!"

"What's your point?" Perconte asked Toye as I was raising my hand and a soldier walked over to give me a letter that was written out to me. I grabbed it, looking at the handwriting and seeing that it was from my mother, wondering what she said to say.

"God! This stuff weighs just as much as I do! I still got my chute, my reserve chute, my Mae West and my M-1!" Toye went on with his woes as I opened the letter and held it in my hands. It was better to read it now and not think about it really

"Where are you keeping the brass knuckles?" Perconte asked as I looked at the letter in bitter despair. I knew this was going to happen, something like this was really going tog et under my skin and the thought of the support I thought I had back at him was slowly dissolving into the abyss of my nightmares. This was getting worse and worse.

"I could use me some brass knuckles," Toye said in amusement now as I crinkled up the paper and sighed in defeat.

My mother disowned me. Damn.

* * *

We weren't going to fly out that night, the fog was too much for us to get off the ground, We had to wait, which to most of us was already dreadful as they were showing us movies in the tent to wait it out. The men were already dressed and ready, having camouflage on their faces and they combat gear ready to go, but now they had to wait.

I was trying to enjoy myself with the movie they had one, but like the rest of the men there in the tent, I was too occupied with other thoughts and matters in my head. Mostly of my mother and the recent blow to the stomach on how she disowned me from the family. I should have seen it coming, knowing that her own daughter ran off to join the army would be some kind of sandal for someone to try and hide and sweep under the rug. Maybe she had enough of me, really had enough of me and this was her telling me this.

Great.

I got up from my seat, which I was sitting next t Malarky and Skip and they looked over at me in concern as I was making my way over to the flap of the tent to let me out.

"Bellerose?" Skip whispered, someone hushing him as I got out of the tent and saw the gloomy air around us. Even though it was spring, there was still coolness in the air as the fog was, in fact, thick enough for the planes never to get off the ground. Tents were all up in neat aisles and rows, occupying the men and keeping them entertained for the fog to roll away, but I was along there with my own thoughts and they were sickening thoughts at that. It made me reach for a cigarette, feeling one against my breast pocket and grabbing the stick before I realized that I had no lighter, or I couldn't find it.

"Need a light?" I looked over, seeing none other than Eugene there, in his own Combat uniform and looking at me with a small smile on his lips and a box of matches there in his hand, holding it out for me. I grinned at him, placing the cigarette between my lips and then reaching over to grab the matchbox from him lightly, our fingers touching again and another shockwave of feelings were coming to the surface.

"You look a bit out of it, Olivia," He said to me as I light the match and held it against my cigarette, breathing it in and seeing him back the matchbox away again in his pocket, I exhaled through my mouth and sighed, thinking of my mother again and what she did to me was like being stabbed in the heart.

"I got a letter from home today, from my mother," I explained softly, seeing him then nod.

"Well then, I don't blame you for the smoke then," He said in almost a joking manner, but his face fell after seeing the dreaded look on my face. I didn't know why it was bothering me so much, like she basically write me off the face of the earth and never really thought about, not batting an eye to it and it almost made me want to cry. Was I not the best daughter that she wanted? Did she not want to see me now and what I could do? Did she even see me as one of her own children, even after what happened to me and I tried to reason with her that it wasn't my fault?

"Olivia?" Eugene asked, having me no longer have the heart to look away from him and just give him a more sincere look.

"I got a bitter letter from home today," I paused, taking in another inhale and then just letting it all out on the table, "My mother disowned me." Eugene looked like I slapped him across the face from what I told him, and all I could do was stand there and let it sink into me one more time.

"She did what?" Eugene asked as I exhaled the smoke through the nose and watched it drift into the air.

"She made a grand decision to take me out of her will completely," It almost sounded like I was giving up on myself really for what happened and what she did to me. I should just give it up altogether since most of my life was trying to please her and I guess she didn't mind it after all. Eugene was still in shock now as I stayed there, trying really hard not to be angry to the point of yelling at him or at the next person coming by. It was still raw within me what she did and how she still wrote it down so nicely, rubbing it in my face and making me feel underappreciated.

"I guess she didn't like her daughter going off to war, Just never saw that one coming from her really," I admitted to him as Eugene took another step closer to me.

"I'm sorry to hear that," He apologized for me, but I shook my head.

"As shitty as it is, I'm almost a bit glad," I replied, seeing him look at me in confusion.

"What?"

"Oh come on, Eugene. After all, I told you about my mother and how she was with me, this surprises you?" I asked him with a shrug of my shoulders. I saw him stay still from that comment as he then looked a bit uneasy himself. I then saw him grab his own cigarette from his pocket and lit it, having me look at him with a bit of shock there on my own face.

"Since when do you smoke?" I asked him, seeing him exhale through his nose.

"Since I was 18," He replied in a gruff, inhaling once more and then pointing his head to me, "And you're one to talk. Does your mom even know you smoke?"

"There are plenty of things my parents don't know about, and that can explain a lot of my disownment of my family," I replied back to him calmly, inhaling as he was exhaling and having me look up into the air now, almost like the smoke through my lips was my thoughts and my thoughts of my family leaving my lungs and having me forget and release it into the fog.

"I never felt right in that family anyway," I said out of the blue, "I mean, I felt more like that…..what do you call it."

"Black sheep?" Eugene answered me in a question.

"That's it! I was the Black sheep in my family, course now I'm more proud of it than anything," I said in a lighter tone, "But still…disownment….I didn't think it would be that big of a step for them to cut me out of their lives." Silence hung between the both of us then. I hated that word, already graved on my tombstone, whether I was going to get it sooner or later.

"What are you going to do?" Eugene asked as he inhaled from his own cigarette and I looked over at him. That was the infamous question that was hanging in my own brain since I read the letter. Apparently I was not welcome to go back home with my parents, both a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing since it was already a prison living there and having the old memories come back to me. A bad thing since I would now be homeless getting out of the army, if I was getting out of the army any who. I watched the smoke escape from Eugene's nose now as he in return was watching me and waiting to hear my reaction. It was almost hypnotizing to see how he was smoking there, I didn't know why it was, but it almost made me lose my train of thought for a moment.

"I don't know," I answered, almost thinking we were going to having another round of silence when Eugene piped up again.

"I got a letter today too, from my Grandmother," Eugene said out of the blue for the moment of silence there.

"You've never mentioned your Grandmother," I voiced, seeing him smile slightly.

"Didn't think you would want to hear about her anyways," He admitted, but I had to shake my head from that.

"Of course I would want to hear about her," I reminded him before I inhaled once more and I saw him shift on his feet.

"She's from my father's side, always talkin' about God and how He protects everyone, including the sinners," Eugene explained now, his smooth accent reminding me of home again from hearing the other people in Louisiana, almost like the slowing of molasses on his tongue that made it both pleasant to hear and soothing on my skin, "You know she was a traiteur." At this point I perked up, knowing the term and hearing it before from either the other girls in my class and the people passing by in New Orleans.

"Really? You kidding me?" asked in shock, seeing him shake his head now.

"She was, most of her life. Healing people with her hands, praying to God to take away all of the sickness, anything from the flu to cancer," It made me grin even more as he explained it some more now as it was more of a ghost story that I would hear from my mother's friends when they came over to dinner. I remembered them saying it was almost like voodoo, how the lower class "witch doctors" would place their hands on the wounds and pray for them to go away. Maybe it was the ignorance that was bred in that house or the minimal viewing of it, but it was still a tall tale that I rang with, amongst other things.

"She sounds like an amazing grandmother, well, compared to my own grandmother who is under the belief that telephones are from the devil and dancing is for heathens," I commented, hearing him chuckle a bit as he threw his now almost gone cigarette to the ground and jamming his heel to put out the cigarette whole smoke came out though his mouth once more, looking at me again as I took my own last withdrawal and feeling the nicotine kick in.

"I wrote to her about some of the guys in Easy," He explained as I smiled.

"I hope it was good things," I voiced, seeing him shake his head now as I was calling him out to do something bold that was almost basically against his nature.

"Nothing but good things for the men, Olivia," He replied, having me eye him now as he was standing there, hands in his pockets of his combat uniform now as it was raising another question within my own head. I never thought I would have my own mind be warped over this kind of guy, a guy that really wouldn't be on my own radar before. It must have been because we came from the same state, his cool demeanor and steady way of thinking, and the peace that I felt with him compared to anyone else that I have ever talked to. But that question was now the bigger question there outside those tent.

Did he write about me?


	10. Chapter 10

**Upottery, England**

 **June 5th, 1944**

"Check all of your supplies at least three times before we head out on the plane tonight, ladies," We were looking at the packs that we were going to wear on our first Operation in Chef-du-Pout. The day was creeping over the hour by hour, the rest of the men there at the airstrip were getting ready on their own, but we were on double time since our own plane was going to be the first to leave Upottery. Since we were grounded yesterday, Black Mamba was going through the same scenario over and over again in our head, all of the scenarios that could happen though we were trained to only have one scenario to be successful. Captain Josephine was making sure we were ready, and I was hoping the same thing for them since I was second-in-command.

"You all have your locations for the companies you're serving?" Captain Josephine asked as we were all standing in front of our packs and seeing the supplies out there in front of us. Compared to the men, our packs were smaller and light, created and formatted to look like it was part of our bodies when we would wear them securely on our backs. The only bulgy thing that would take up too much space was our parachute and reserve chute, the rest was placed carefully and securely enough to be light when we would go on our Operation.

"Yes, ma'am!" We all replied to her as she eyed each and every one of us in our tent out there on the field, hands behind her back and she then gave us a short nod. I could tell she was on edge a bit, but she never has it become a problem with her soldiers. Captain Josephine knew how to take care of her emotions and keep them balanced, but we could still tell that something was ticking in her head.

"Tonight, we embark on the first of many Operations here in the war, and we will be making history as one of the first all-female Special Operation companies in U.S. army history," She said it with such softness there in her voice along with a hint of pride, but I knew it was also laced with anticipation and worry, "The world will be looking towards us as we go and jump out of a plane into enemy territory. You all have been selected to be in this Unit because of your skills, a will and drive to succeed, and dedication to this country. I will be honest with you, there are officers and soldiers outside this tent that are going to want us, want you, to fail. They believe that we don't belong here, that we should be at home being wives."

All of us were not saying a word about it, just watching her as I was letting this drink all in under my skin. I knew we were having a challenge on us, being in a male-dominated place and all of those eyes on us with disbelief and little faith in us, it would assume that we would be cracking under the pressure.

"But you do belong here, you deserve to fight for your country as much as the men do. You have trained, been stretched to your wits end, and you know what to do. I could not be prouder of each and every one of you for what you have done, what you are doing, and what you're going to do in the future. Be brave, don't second guess yourself, and fight hard for the country you love and live in, understand?" She asked us now, having me look at the others around me and see the newly sprung faith in them. We were all women from different backgrounds, different homes and different ways of thinking. But the way we were standing together, not wanting to be in the typical world of women and wanting to prove ourselves to the men in the army, it madam more proud to be in this unit of not just women, but soldiers.

One by one, the women there in that tent, all of different ages and sizes, were saluting her and showing their respect and allegiance to her. I saluted as well, knowing that I would follow Captain Josephine to the ends of the earth because I knew she would take care of us as our Captain and our leader. She slated us back, a mutual agreement was made apparently. We were about to jump out of a plane, into a foreign town and start the battle with the Germans in order to help Easy Company with their work in France. What we were about to was beyond crazy, almost suicidal, and to think all I wanted to do was to find some kind of purpose on this earth. Maybe this was my purpose, not being a dancer or ballerina, not being the perfect daughter my mother wanted me to be all of these years. but to be an almost crazy female lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Yeah, I was downright insane.

We walked out of the tent now and into the light of the setting sun, the crisp summer air was coming through showing that this was the day that the war was going to start for us. We were in our combat gear attire and our packs were on our backs, slim and black to be more sleek and movable for us. We were walking in a line now over to airplane was getting prepped and ready, Captain Matthews was waiting for us near the door on the other side of the airfield. We had to walk through the other men there who were getting prepped and having their now pep talks with their officers. I saw the men already that I knew and grew close to over the years since I was assigned to them.

Easy Company. Not to mention that they saw me too.

All of them were in their bulkier gear, camouflage there on their faces and the small hint go fear and adrenaline there in their body languages. But once I was locking eyes with them, seeing each and every one them, they were giving me a look of mixed emotions. I was popgun to give them a look of hope and optimism, what I got back was something else. I could see it in their eyes, how they were watching me and not moving for a moment or two now.

They were giving me the look of acceptance.

All of them: Christenson, Perconte, Webster, Liebgott, Talbert, Skip, Shifty, Bull, Buck, Johnny Martin, Guarnere and the rest of them were watching me most of all compared to the others in Black Mamba. I didn't know what to say to them if I wanted to say anything to them at all, but what I saw of them was almost making me lose a step or two now. I didn't think they would do something like this to us, even after the years of me helping them train and getting to know each of them, what they did then in that moment almost blew me away.

They saluted me.

I didn't know what to think or do in that moment as I was walking by, each of them was watching me and keeping their salute, having me reluctantly salute them back as I passed them by. I was worried about them too, how they were going to do in their one jumps and if they were all going to get out okay. They trained under the hardest and ruthless Captains in the army, and though they had a new leader, I was really praying God and if God was going to listen, that He was going to take care of them and keep them all safe.

Our plane was getting closer and closer to us now, having me no longer focus on Easy whom all went back to their own preparations. It made me want to look back at them one more time before I would get on my own plane, but it was a back mistake. A real bad one, since I saw Eugene Roe there talking to Spina, the other Easy Company medic, and it made me heart already feel too fragile to think about him jumping out of a plane, with no weapon on him to protect him. Someone like Eugene was both passionate about helping others and stern in his trade that was thrust into his hands, and he was my closest friend. I felt more sick to my stomach to be leaving him behind, and it wasn't that I had no faith in him, it was quite the opposite. I had enough faith that he could take care of himself and the others in Easy, too much if I was going to be honest with myself. I was still coming to terms that I saw him as more than a friend, that I would maybe think of us…together. It was morbid, it was out of the ordinary, but it also brought me hope.

Hope, in maybe Eugene and I being together.

He wouldn't want to be with me, I was trained to kill and take out officers with my bare hands. I had more family baggage than anything someone would read a book to pass the time, I had no family to go back to or to call my own. I had to be honest, I was a mess. I was not even close to being ready for something like this, let alone being in any kind of relationship. My mother thought I was and looked what happened. But this, what I felt like Eugene, it felt different and more a reality than anything I felt in the past for another male. We both had common ground, we both had a sense of comfort in one another when we felt like the rest of the world was going to shit. So why was I hoping for something that wouldn't seem possible or the both of us?

Why in God's name I was hoping?

The girls were now piling into the plane now, one by one and I was the last one in line right behind O'Neal. I was still looking at Eugene, seeing him nod at Spina from saying something to him and then Spina pointing my way now. Eugene looked right at me, almost freezing a bit and having me freeze there too. I didn't want him to see me before I went off in the plane, it made me really wish that I could run over there and…I don't know what. But he was the one who jogged over to me, his own combat gear one and his pack on the ground before pointing it on. He had his helmet under his arm, which had his black hair sticking up a bit awkwardly, but it none the less made him more unique.

"You leaving, Olivia?" He asked me, the infamous and blunt question that would be more obvious with me in front of a plane, but it sounded more curious than anything.

"We're heading out tonight," I replied back to him, seeing him look at me up and down now with my new combat attire and how my hair was braided and pushed away from my eyes to make me look more like a warrior than a female than his friend. What was he thinking seeing me there, his close friend who was dressed like she was about to go and snap a guy's neck off for sport? God, it made me sick to think I was being viewed like that by him, but then again it could be different with him

"Listen," he said, out of the blue and almost like he wanted to get it out of his chest, "After what happened with you and your mother, back when she disowned you and all…"

"You don't have to talk about that, Eugene," I reasoned with him, already feeling bad for dumping that would him since I didn't want to bottle it all up myself, "It was my fault for telling you that."

"I just wanted you to know that I think you're a great person," I was silent from what he said, not only beaches it sounded so sincere and genuine, but it was also coming from Eugene who was being more bold about it than any other time that we would talk together.

"That came out wrong," he said out of the blue, seeing the shocked look on my face and how I was saying nothing, "I just didn't want you to think less of yourself," He took what I said and what I went through the day before to heart, very close to heart. It was seething that he was not meant to do, being close to another person. He had to do the opposite, he had to be further away from the men and out of their reach. So why was he doing this to me?

"Thanks, Eugene," I felt pathetic for not saying anything more to him in that moment, for not finding better words to express how I felt towards him. He smiled at me, that smile I knew could really lit everything up in a room if it could. It mad him handsome, in which I felt my own body move without me thinking about it. I reached down and held his hands, our fingers linking together and I was pressing my palm into his palm. I felt like this was going to be as close to a hug as we were going to have with one another with others around us. I wanted to hug him, and the way Eugene was talking to me, I could tell he wanted to hug me too. At least, I think he wanted to hug me. But he then squeezed our palms together, almost delicately and urgently to have me feel it.

I was thinking of home again.

It made me think of the warm summer nights in the city, the sound of music coming in and out of the bars and taverns near the ballet studio, the taste of pastries from the bakery, and most of all, the sweet sounds of the wind coming through the low hanging branches and the trees. I was remembering all of those things from that hold he had on me, from a simple gesture that we were sharing together. It took so many seconds for me to remember home, all of those things of home, and then I was back in reality on that strip with Eugene in front of me, still holding onto my hand and having me grin wider at him than before.

"Bellerose, it's time to go," I heard Captain Josephine say behind me as she was near the door into the plane. I looked behind me over my shoulder to see her there, giving me a reassuring nod and having me inwardly curse to myself. I had to look back over to Eugene, but as I did, he leaned over to standing even a bit closer to me now and I felt like I was a frozen statue there.

Because he wrapped both arms around me and hugged me.

I hugged him back immediately, making sure I would remember how he hug felt like and if I could keep that in my memory forever and always. He pulled away before I could even do something else about it, and I squeezed our hands together one more time before we separated and he moved away from me a bit.

" _S'il vice plaît être sûr_?" (Please be safe?) He asked me in French, having me nod.

" _Vous aussi_ ," (You as well) I replied back to him, then moving away from him and over to the plane before I knew I was going to make a fool of myself even more in front of him and the others who might be watching. I got my hand on the alpine, hearing Eugene walking away from me and making me wish that I said something else to him, anything else. But nothing was mean to be said as I then saw Captain Josephine look at me with a small smirk on her face. Did she know? Would she know? I was about to say something when she beat me to it.

"I'm not gonna remind you to keep your head straight," She started, having me be ready for anything that she is going to say that could get me in trouble," However, I'm only to say one thing to you."

"Ma'am," I responded back to her now, waiting for the punishment. In return, I got something I did not intend.

"Never took you to go after the silent ones."

* * *

 **June 5th, 1944**

 **Chef-du-Pout, France**

 **2:230 am**

I landed on my feet, almost going into a roll before I stopped myself and got my chute off of me in record time. The other girls were landing too, throng off the chutes and we started to run before we should catch a breath within our lungs. It was all so quick, but we were running before we knew it and the town was right in front of us. So far, there was silence and nothing was really heard, except for our plane that was flying away into the darkness of the night.

We landed, and our operation was about to begin.

"Split and surround, now!" Captain Jpsepinge said in a hiss, all of us splitting to where she wanted us to go. I was verging to the right with Harper behind me and a couple of others, going towards the outer ridge of the town and hearing nothing once again, The others were going left and Josephine was going up the middle, all of us were covered in black from our heads under wraps and helmets to our toes, it was as though we were moving within the night.

I got to the town first and I ran my fingers along the wall, trying to feel or any kind of vibrations that could be tipping us off. The other did the same, and so far, nothing was going out of hand. We made it to the first gap where the street was against the town, all of us stopping to hide behind the building there to peer into the town itself. Everything was dark, not a sound was heard as we peer into the square, looking for some kind of sign as to where they were having their base for communication.

Every window in the square was dark, every door was closed, and everything else showed that the war did not taint this place, not yet. I looked across the square over to the middle, where I saw Captain Josephine contorting her body to mold against the large fountain in the middle of the square, her body pressed against the dark marble underneath and near the earth. To the regular eye, she was not seen at all. But to us, we could see her since we were trained to do so.

"Wait for her command," I said behind me to the others, all of whom stayed low to the ground and some of them drew out their knives in case. I looked back to the front once more, seeing her under the fountain and seeing her head inkling over to the side to see anywhere she can. I was watching her carefully, knowing that she would give some kind of signal to move out. Her hands moved out from the fountain, almost over to me and I knew she was about to tell me through her hand signals where she could see they were holding the communications.

Her hand was now making a fist, hitting the ground four times.

"Four houses down," I whispered, seeing her hand move into an open plan facing towards me now and she clicked her fingers three times, " The third floor."

Everything else around s was in silence again as she froze, having me inch my head slightly over in the direction to see why she froze there from telling us what else was there to see. She must have seen something there in the building that she was watching, It took her another moment or two before she moved her hand again and I felt the other behind me getting a bit antsy.

Josephine finally moved, her hand moving again so calmly and I saw her move hold up 5 fingers.

"5 Seconds we move out," I whispered out loud, the other behind me were moving a bit and getting ready to move on her command. I looked behind myself at the others, seeing them with their own knives and small weapons that they had concealed.

"Now," I hissed, all of us running in slowly and staying within the shadows. We moved into the square, staying along the building walls as I scanned the four building, seeing where she was seeing as well and then noticing the small flicker of light there. Bingo. I started to head over in this direction, the girls right behind me as we could then hear, off in the distance, loud heavy bombing that was echoing from far off in the sky.

The boys were now jumping, either that or the Germans were finding them first.

Once we reached the building, I could hear some movement going on inside, but it was quiet enough to believe that nothing too serious was happening there. I got to the door, testing it silently to make sure it was open, in out case, it was closed and lock.

"Harper," I hissed, seeing her creep over now as I pointed to the door. She nodded, getting in front of me and having me watch her get her tools out to unjam the lock. She knew how to hack into doors and other little places, part of the reason why she was in the army any who.

"Viola," She whispered, the door unlocking under her tools and it creaked open slightly. She moved out of the way in time for me to go in first, the first floor was dead quiet and in total darkness. There are stairs on the left going to the second floor, a parlor on the right and a hallway dead on, barely anything there in the entry way as I head some clicks here and there along the second floor above me.

"Three down here, two up with me," I whispered, the group I was with dispersing and I was slowly getting up the stairs without making a sound. The others were still on the first floor when I looked behind me to see Captain Josephine making her way into the house.

"Five others are outside around the perimeter in case we get caught," She whispered to me as she joined me up the stairs.

"We have light noise on the second floor, possibly a third floor, ma'am," I reported to her under my earth as we made our way to the top of the stairs. Once again, the hallway was dark with barely anything there, but I then heard a couple of sets of feet moving around in one of the rooms across the way. I created over to the door, my gun pointing down and Captain Josephine right behind me now as we were standing on either side of the door. She looked right at me, counting down before we would bust the door open and go in there with guns blazing.

Three….two….One.

I kicked the door in, seeing the light hit me and two men in there talking to each other in German before looking over at us in shock. They were Germans, I could see it in their uniform, and within two seconds they were both shot down. It all happened so fast before they could even get their own guns up and ready. As soon as they hit the floor, I walked in with Josephine right behind me as we scanned the room, hearing a bit more commotion upstairs now since the noise was now in motion.

We were discovered.

"Take the others upstairs and I'll find whatever is in here," Captain Josephine ordered me now, having me move out of the room and over to the stairs again, running was heard on the third floor along with Germans barking out orders to one another. Harper was right behind me when we saw a German right at the top of the stairs with a machine gun in hand, having me feel her push me down by my shoulder and chuck the knife in her hand at him, getting him right at the throat and collapsing to the floor with blood on his lips and skin. We bolted up the stairs, my gun in hand now and Harper dashing over to get her knife from the bloody throat of the dead German.

I saw another German rushed over to us with a gun, having me shoot at him before he could hit us while running and he fell while we got to the third floor. I could hear more commotion within those rooms and more of Black Mamba was coming up the stairs and join us there.

"Take the rooms one by one," I ordered them, seeing him move about in pairs to the other rooms and I moved with Harper to the room right ahead of us. We both walked over there, hearing more barking of orders and then the door being kicked open. A German soldier ran out to shoot at us, shooting a couple of time, but we moved out of the way and I almost got grazed when Harper threw her knife out again, hitting him in the arm and having him drop his gun.

Running over I saw him leap at me, but I grabbed his wounded arm, shoving him towards my raised knee and I heard the pop in his head from the contact with my knee. He fell to the ground unconscious as I heard another soldier running over to me. We sparred for a moment or so, me dodging his punches and kicks and I got him to the ground with a firm kick to the groin and I shot at his head once.

Once again, we were succeeding in this mission.

"Over here, Lieutenant," I looked behind me to see Harper at the window now, not directly in front but over to the side as she was looking out in the square. I walked over to her, seeing where she was looking and we both had the same look on our faces: shock. It was the lightning in the sky, or what I thought was lightning at first. But the more I looked at it, hearing the noise in the distance and seeing how rapid the light was coming and going in the black sky, we both knew what that was.

Another raid in another place, far away from here. The war was finally here.

"We need to find the communications and quick," I replied back to her now, seeing her nod and look at the other girls that were coming into our room.

"We found something in the corner room, Lieutenant," One of the girls, Ruth, said to me as she came into the room in a huff. I walked over with her now, away from the window and I could hear more and more girls coming in from the outside and into the house.

"Square is clear," I heard another girl say to Captain Josephine now as she joined us on the third floor. I was still walking over to the room that they pointed out to me, Captain Josephine right behind me as I opened the door and we both looked inside.

"Bingo," Captain Josephine said in a smile now as we found the room as a communication center. papers were piled on top of the table, a radio was set up and still being used and alive there against the window that was showing the green grass and hills behind the town, and a couple of German beer bottles were all around the surfaces in the room.

"This is enough for us to use and to take back to Captain Matthews," Captain Josephine said to me as we were looking at the papers, all of them in German, "Harper, go grab Dunkle for me." Harper ran off as we were going to find out what is said there on the papers. Dunkle was another one of our soldiers, but she was also our German translator since she's of German descent. She knew the language, just like how I knew French.

Dunkle came running in, already getting ready to work with her dutch brands up in a strategic bun and her bandana over her neck now as she was guided over to the table and was looking at the first paper that was there. Her eyes were already scanning as another bomb went off in the distance and some of the girls were looking out the window and out the door as well in case we were going to be seen or spotted.

"These are reports coming in from other areas in France where the Germans are advancing," Dunkle explained now, moving to another paper, "They have different areas under their command and they're waiting for the Americans and English to come,"

"Looks like they are steps ahead of us," Harper said out of the blue.

"But better for us to know these coordinates now than later," Captain Josephine explained to her now as she then looked at Dunkle again and pointed to the papers, "You have the location there in the papers?"

"Yes, Captain," She replied to Josephine.

"Good, I'll radio back to base with Matthews and report to him on what we find. Dunkle stays with me in case we have anyone else listening in, I want Bellerose to take some of the others out into streets and make sure that no one can get in or out of this town. After we talked to Base, we cut the line and we then head out to our companies we are assigned to aid." Josephine said to us all as one more bomb was hard.

Day one of the war was finished.


	11. Chapter 11

**June 6th, 1944**

The sun was coming up slowly over the rolling hills, already showing the signs of the day coming through and we were already feeling the war on the wind. After we took the town and made sure there was no sign of Germans there that would be hazardous for Easy, we were then ready to head out to the other companies that we were assigned to. I was heading over on a jeep with Captain Josephine next to me and Harper in the back, the three of us were heading over in the same direction that Easy was supposed to be at. The morning wind was sweeping over us, already being tinted and masked over with gunpowder and fuel from either a plane or a car nearby.

It was already smelling like a war.

Thankfully we didn't have to go very far, only a few hours along the road in our jeep and in some places we could see some of the warfare already hitting the towns around us and the countryside. Smoke was rising in different areas, it was as if we missed the huge start of the war and we were rolling into the aftermath. I was in the back of the jeep with Harper and Captain Josephine in the front seat now, looking dead ahead as Harper and I was looking at the aftermath of the night raid. I almost felt sick to my stomach from seeing what was happening around me, what I was smelling in the air and along the road, and most of all, what I taught was going to come in the future.

"Captain," I said to Captain Josephine, seeing her look back at me now as we were still riding down the road, "Where are you going to be when we're not on assignment?"

"I'll be back at headquarters with Captain Matthews and helping him with keeping an eye on the rest of the girls at their respected companies," She explained to me now, "I'll be popping in from time to time to make sure things are going well and help with any other companies that need it. You'll be first to be notified if we are going on a new Operation or mission."

I nodded at her to show that I took in what she said, but it was still creeping up on the back of my mind. Thinking of the plenty of Operations that we would have to go through and be successful in. There was no room for failure, not for us. That frightened me, but then again I had to learn how to hide it within me and not show it to the others to see.

Who knew what was going to be over that hill now.

* * *

The jeep pulled to a stop in the small area that was clearly occupied with American soldiers, all of whom looked like they survived the D-Day. Already I could see some of them trying to keep themselves together, and others were hardly touched by the D-Day landing. I was mostly thinking of how Easy Company did in their own jump if they made it out okay and they were here where I was supposed to meet up with them. But then again, after seeing the bombing going off in the distance while we were doing our own Operation, I was trying not to be surprised from what I was seeing. Here I was, at some remote band in a smaller town that seemed to be a thumbnail on the scale of New Orleans, and all I could think about was what was going to happen from here.

Where the hell was Easy?

"This is where we leave you, Lieutenant," Captain Josephine said to me as I hopped out of the jeep and I looked back at her for a moment or two, not thinking of when I was going to see her next, let alone the rest of the girls in Black Mamba. This was the first time we are going to be separated from one another since we started out together in training. I was almost feeling a bit sad about it as Captain Josephine kept going, "I'll send you a telegram on our next assignment when I am given it by Matthews. Well done today, you're a natural elder with the others,"

"Thank you, ma'am," I thanked her, saluting her once more and seeing her return the gesture. Even Harper saluting me behind Josephine as she then lowered her hand and motioned to the driver to start it up again. I watched from the side as the jeep rode off past the farm where I was and where the group of me where, the men moving aside for them as I was standing there along, surrounded by soldiers and looking around to see if I recognize someone, anyone from Easy company. I thought of Joe Liebgott and how he can be snarky and talk himself out of a situation, Guarnere and his wide mouth and hard look, Shifty and his kind look and heart.

Eugene, where was Eugene?

"Bellerose?" I looked over to my left, finally seeing someone that looked a bit familiar to me and I grinned from ear to ear. There was Lieutenant Buck, standing there in his combat uniform and some grime there already on his face, but it was still nice to see someone that I knew there. I walked over to him, seeing him eye me up and down now and what I was wearing with my now combat attire.

"Hello, Lieutenant," I said to him in a smile as he chuckled.

"You look like you had your fair share of combat," He commented to me, "What did you have to do?"

"Sad to say that it's classified," I informed him.

"Oh, and then you would have to kill me if you tell me?" He asked in almost a joke now as I chuckled, looking around a bit more and not seeing anyone else from easy, not really. It almost made me panic a bit now as I looked back at Buck.

"Where's Easy?" I asked him, his smile faltering a bit as I mentioned Easy, having me now worry a bit now in my spot in front of him.

"We're missing about 75% of the men," He explained, having me look at him in shock now.

"How did that happen?" I asked in a shocked tone, thinking of how that percent that was for me to hear from him. I thought the jump went well, I had high hopes for that.

"Our jump went a bit haywire, ending most of us scattered around a bit in the countryside," Buck explained to me as I watched him with worried written all over my face.

"How bad was it?" I questioned.

"One of our planes got hit hard," I cursed under my breath when I heard and I saw him nod in agreement, "However, we are about to head over and get ready for an attack along the hills nearby since some tanks and Germans are there with an assault ready for us."

"They want Easy for it?" I asked him.

"Easy and Dog Company, along with you if you're willing," Buck replied, having me eye him and see the small glimpse of hope that he had in his eyes for me to help them and join the men in this new assault that was coming our way, and that they were about to be a part of. He was asking as if he was worried that I would refuse him and the others in their aid. But this was why I was there, this was why I was assigned to them: I was there to not only hope but to protect them. This was the start of it.

"Point me in the right direction," I replied back smoothly, seeing him cock a grin at me and then motioning with his head to follow him. I followed willingly seeing him have a pep in his step now as we were moving along the muddy ground and seeing more and more men flooding into the farm now from whoever they were at. I could hear some people talking in the barn now as we were getting closer and some people were moving around inside from what I could see.

"There are Germans are in the trenches with access to the entire battery. With machine gun covering their rear," I could hear Winters now as there were all huddled together and talking strategy about the upcoming assault. I stood behind Buck for a moment or two, not wanting to introduce myself then but to just listen in on what they already had planned.

"We'll establish a base of fire and move under it hard and fast with two squads of three," He went on with the plan.

"How many Krauts do you think we're facing?" I heard Guarnere ask.

"No, Idea," Winters answered.

"No idea?"

"We'll take some TNT along with us. To spike the guns. Lipton, your responsibility," I was not listening to the rest of it now as I was looking around the room to see who was there and what was going on. I knew of Toye and Guarnere, along with Lipton there too as they were listening to Winters and what he had to say. From what I was hearing, and how they were all looking to him, Winters was taking over Easy at the moment since he was the only acting officer there.

"Compton, 2nd squad," Winters now said to Buck as Buck moved out of the way for me to be in the sight again. He coughed a bit to get Winter's attention, who looked right at me now with a bit of shock there in his eyes, the other were looking too.

"Lieutenant," Winters said in a lighter manner as the others grinned.

"Told ya she'd come around," Toye said to Guarnere under his breath but still loud enough for me to hear.

"When did you get here, Bellerose?" Lipton asked me in wonder.

"Literally just now, sir," Buck replied for me, having me smile and salute Winters, seeing him return the gesture.

"How was your mission, Lieutenant?" Winters asked me as I moved around the men now who were getting ready for the battle ahead.

"Went smoothly and our Operation was successful," I reported back to him.

"Glad to hear it, and I'm glad you're here to help with our upcoming assault with the Germans. Are you up for it?" He asked, almost making it sound so kind of him to ask such a thing.

"Of course, sir," I replied back, feeling a bit better now that I knew Winters was going to help with the attack and the assault that was ahead of us. I was glad to help and contribute to whatever I can bring to Easy whether it was foghorn alongside them or even being in the background with information and tactics that they could use. The better use I could be, the better.

"We're going to be going into the attack that will be out on the outskirts of town near some hills and underbrush, their machine guns are the main objective. If we can get to those guns and not loose any of the men, we can call this assault a perch success for D-Day," Winters explained to me as I was listening in on the plan, "We have more than enough men going out there for the assault, but it won't hurt to have you there in case anything does go south."

"Couldn't agree more, sir," I agreed with him since if I knew Winters well enough, he was going to have more than enough men out there in the first place and I could always be used as a Plan B or C for that matter.

"Good, you can also another set of eyes for us to use and to have on our side, I know the boys will be more than happy to hear anything you want to address to them while the battle is happening," Winters explained to me as he the pointing to the others nearby that were still getting ready, "I have men in charge of the machine guns, along with TNT to disengage and take out their machine guns."

"It's only Easy and Dog Company the only ones in this attack, sir?" I asked him, seeing him pause before answering. I could tell he wanted D-Day to go another way, a better way that included all of his men there safe and sound, no one missing or in another goddamn place in France, and having their Captain there from Easy to lead the charge. But this was no fairy tale or a place for high hopes. No, he was living in the cold reality that he had to be the one who was taking charge in the first battle that they were going to be in.

"Just us two."

* * *

This was far more different from working with the girls in Black Mamba, way too different. For one, we were in plain sight when I was used to working out of sight and out of the daylight. I was still in my Black Mamba black combat clothing, my hair ducked under my bandana and helmet, a slimmer bandana around my neck for any battles to cover my face, and my fingerless gloves tapping my legs with anxiety and steady breathing. This time, the men were the ones who were leading the charge and assault now and I was going to be Plan B if something did go south. It was fine by me, but once again I was standing a bit higher in my tip toes from the thought of being in another mission kind of situation and having to either kill or be killed.

The rolling hills, green and smooth from the grass and the cloudy day, were the only things I could see from where I was standing within the woods and back from being in plain sight. I was with some of the other men who were staying behind from going in on the assault, the others were tasked with guns and were ready to listen to what Winters wanted them to do. I had out my own rifle within my hands, my eyes scanning every now and again to see if something was going to be a threat for the boys.

There were trenches for certain, curved along the hills and making it look like a maze more than anything and I could spot some of the makeshift work that they sued to cover their machine guns, almost cover them is more like it. It was less threatened for me to be there at the moment, so I placed my rifle back over my shoulder again and just watched carefully with my eyes.

They moved swiftly, like how they were supposed to when they were training both in England and back in the states. I knew Winters was trying to lead them the best way he could and he was doing a damn good job at it. The boys were gravitating to him, hanging on his every word and not wanting to disappoint him, like sons wanting to make their father proud. I could see the same thing in their eyes and how they looked at him and followed his every move. Hell, if I was one of the Easy men, I would do the same.

Gunfire span left and right, bullets were flying over the top of the grass by mere inches, and out the main objective were those two machine guns that were on different sides of the field. One of them was closer to us, as the other was bit more of a challenge to get to because of the heavy gunfire that was coming our way to prevent us from advancing. I waited, not wanting to step out of the boundaries and go out of line.

"Compton, recovering fire!" I was still watching from my spot within the tree line in hopes that nothing was going to give me away, seeing the battle already unfolding in front of me and the men holding their ground. Popeye, one of the men in Easy, was shot and was trying to get himself up again, others were dodging bullets left and right, and Toye almost got killed by a grenade since he almost didn't look out in time. I was trying to find a strategy for the men to make this battle easier, seeing them already taking orders from Winters and going wherever he wanted them to go. So far, it was in our favor, but I still had to be ready for when something else happens.

"There's the second gun. Grenades first, then keep going. Go!" Winters said to Buck now as he then looked over in my direction, having me see that I was still a bit farther away now since he was trying to find me and I was well hidden, "Bellerose! Upfront!"

"Sir!" I called back to him, running into the open now but trying to be as swift as humanly possible. Being a ballerina had it quirks, learning to leap more than run and having my legs extend longer when I was sprinting. It got me there faster and I was there in front of Winters before I knew it.

"I need you to go with the men to the second gun, make sure you keep the Germans out of this hair," He instructed me, having me a nod and get my own mind ready for what was about to come: My first real battle.

"Yes, sir," I replied to him, already moving away from him over to the second machine gun, which was going to be a bit of a way for me now. I was not going to try and be near the men, they could handle themselves fine. I was trying to find my now way over there now along the tree line before sprinting into the trenches that were along the field. It was one thing to just run, stop, and fire at the Germans. But it was another thing to get there first before the others in Easy, to clear the way for them and to make sure they were not going to be touched by anything.

I was playing guardian angel after all.

I was sprinting along the grass and tree line, hearing more and more gun being shot over and over again, people yelling in both English and German and I was keeping my eyes on the machine gun within its own little safe zone, it was getting closer and closer now. My eye was on the prize at all times, feeling the bullet almost hit me once or twice as I was running like mad.

Once I reach an area where I could jump, I took the chance, launching myself off a fallen tree that was in front of me and soaring a bit into the air into the trench that was close to me, landing on my feet and looking ahead, the Easy men behind me and a bit farther back.

I grabbed my rifle to have within my hands, starting a jog and seeing the Germans in the trench ahead of me. I took a shot instantly seeing the first one to go and the second soldier look over to see me there. I had a split second to take the second shot, hitting him in the eye and seeing him hit the floor instantly like a sack of flour. I kept running faster, jumping over the two bodies as more gunfire was coming my way. I could see the area where the machine gun was, a good fifty feet away from me and I just had to stride there. There were four other men within that small dig in that they had, and I was the one that was going to have to take them out.

A piece of cake.

The first one I swing my rifle at, the butt of the rifle hitting him in the head and cheek with blood pouring out. As he fell I released the gun and grabbed the other soldier that was next to him before he could shoot, punching him out cold and grabbing his luger while he was falling. I shot at the third man in the chest twice and then ducking from the fourth trying to shoot me. I rammed into him and got him pinned against the wall, his own gun dropping from his hand and he was trying to grab my face within his fingers that were struggling there, but I heard a couple of the men from Easy run up behind me and they were watching what I was doing.

I got him against the wall, one arm pinning him there by his neck and then having me then kick him hard against the knee to hear it break. He cried out, falling to the floor and I then shot him with the luger I had in my own spare hand.

It was done. I looked down at the German luger in my hand, throwing it to the floor and then looking behind me to see who was watching me the whole time. Buck, Joe Toye, Guarnere and Lipton, all wide eyed and in shock, were not saying a word to me as I was walking over to them, no longer thinking of the plenty of men I just killed in under a minute or two and thinking again of the task at hand.

"Machine gun is yours, gentlemen," I said to him, trying to make it sound cause but it came out winded instead.

"Jesus H. Christ," Guarnere said in a mumble as I got my rifle within my hands.

"I'll find a checkpoint for me to be in and help with the third for you all," I reported to Buck and Lipton, seeing them all nod and already get to work at I climbed out of the trench there and created over to the tall trees behind us there along the hills. The battle was still going on, our side getting more and more accomplished since the Germans were about to lose their third and final machine gun. I found a good enough tree to climb, thinking back to the days of me climbing trees with Black Mamba in a game of Hide and Seek. Now I was about to do the exact same thing.

Hide and Kill more like it.

Perched on a perfectly good branch, I got my rifle within my hands and I scanned the area where I could see they needed the most help. I took in a solid breath, bringing my rifle up and then my scope to my eye to look into. Some of the heavy fire were coming in on the east side, some of our men were there and trying to hold them off. I cocked my gun at the ready, looking for the first German that I saw near the trenches or trees.

I started to shoot, one by one now, seeing that I was hitting each mark that I was set on, taking a few second in between as the Easy company men were slowly making their way over to the third gun. I was taking shot after shot, not missing on whom I was shooting at, and keeping my finger constantly on the trigger after each shot, I would reload from time to time, but after a minute or so of shooting, we were in the clear and we were succeeding once and for all.

Being perched up in a tree, trigger ready on a rifle that was basically a hand-me-down from the army since they figured I would break it from the moment I picked it up, I felt more invincible than any other time there in the army. This was more fulfilling than any piece of paper telling me that I was unwanted with my family, much better than the constant nagging of my mother for not being the daughter she's always wanted and the constantly privileged lies that were fed to me

This was much better than that. I had strength, I had a purpose, and I was bold.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sainte-Marie-du-Mont**

I was just as surprised as the next person that I was alive and not dead, not from the first battle that I went though and was trying to wind down from before we were moving out again to the smaller town that was next to us to take shelter in for the night for a moment or two before we were going to move out to Culoville. I only had a few moments to breathe when I heard that we were going to move on to another part of the countryside to either clear it or make it. The only things I had on me from the aftermath of the battle was dirt up and down my body, a small smooth of blood that sprayed on me from the Germans that I killed, and an already chaotic mindset excuse of what I did.

Hell, I killed.

Should I call myself a killer now? It didn't sound right on my tongue when I voiced it silently to myself, seeing how my hands looked even after I murdered a bunch of men who were just doing what they were meant to do. This was not how I want dot think of myself, but then again I was in my own mode and my own way of training when I was in that battle, not thinking of the morals that could come back and haunt me when I would take a breath. I was in soldier mode, assassin mode, I wasn't in Olivia Bellerose mode. I was a kind person, a good person who knew right and wrong, but this….was this different because I was doing my own duty?

Was I the only one who was thinking this?

Night came into the picture, the air getting colder but still stinging my nose with the scent of both blood and powder in the air, the scent of war was overwhelming me and it made me almost want to be sick since I was not used to it. After hearing the plenty of praises from the other officers and even Winters on how successful it was for us, I was still feeling uneasy about it, about how much damage I cause within myself. I was walking into that town, almost feeling too heavy within my own heart and head from that whole day, including the night raid that I had with Black Mamba. It was all coming over me and making me both exhausted and worn out all over my body, and this as the very first of the many battles and Operations that are going to either shape me into a better officer or kill me in the end.

I didn't know which one.

The others in Easy were kind enough to me, some of them going into one of the trucks that were parked out on the side near the church that was in the square. I paused in my own walk, seeing soldier going in and out of the church now and having me wonder what was going on in there, rubbing the back of my neck and thinking about religion. Louisiana was heavy on religion, all about the Southern routes and the Baptist churches left and right along the bayou waters or on the busy streets of New Orleans. My family was religious, as religious as any Louisiana native should be. I thought about God now and again when I was training in the army if this was the plan He had for me when He thought of me. Did he want me to kill like this? Did He think this was right? I sighed, knowing what I had to do.

I had to repent.

I walked over to the open front doors of the church, seeing soldiers already shuttling in and out to have me see what was going on inside. They made one-half of the church, the half closest to the from doors, a makeshift medical ward with those who were wounded in the landing and using the pews as cots. Some of the men were out cold, others are in pain as the combat medics on hand were trying to heal them. The front part of the church was mostly deserted since some of the soldiers there were praying in silence or under their breaths. Some of the candles and stain glasses there on that wall as I walked past the wounded over to an empty pew were damaged, and only half of what was there was still there and useable. I walked through the middle aisle, hearing the prayers of the other soldiers who I was passing on my slow walk. The sounds in the church were haunting, small gasp for air from the wounded, whispers from the devoted in faith, and the walking of my now heavy feet that felt like they were filled with lead.

I grabbed the first match that was there, lighting it from another candle and placing my own flame to a candle that was not in usage yet. Once the flame was in place, I walked back to the third pew on the left, sitting there for a moment or two to just catch my breath and rethink all that I did mere hours before. It has been months since I last prayed, maybe venue been years because of how I was feeling about myself in the war. I knew that I had to kill, I knew it was part of my job there. But to finally do the act itself was another matter on my heart. Something inside of me tried to think of the positive about it, that I did what I had to do for Easy and to protect them, that was what I was supposed to do. But then again I still felt too dirty about it, that my hands were beyond dirty and no longer pure. So I folded my damaged hands, tucking my head down and closed my eyes like I used to when I was younger.

 _God, I am full of sin that I know I cannot take away myself. I am far for being perfect and being a Christian, but I do hope that you find it in your favor to forgive me. I'm not even close to deserving your approval for forgiveness, but I need your strength more than ever. I pray that you can guide me through this war, that I can have the strength that only you can provide. I also pray that your love flows through me and fuels me through this time of discontent and disownment with my family._

It sounded so bad to say that in my head about my own family, how they didn't want me anymore and just left me to the dust. But then again it was what I was feeling how it was weighing me down more than anything. I didn't want this weight, no one should have this weight, having me wonder if God wanted this weight for me.

"Lieutenant," I looked behind me from someone calling out to me carefully in the church, his voice ringing in the small church now and it made me perk up about it now as I looked behind me, seeing none other than Eugene Roe there, having me not be able to move from my spot there on the pew seat. I haven't seen him since we talked outside the plane in England, and he was on my mind constantly in thoughts that he made the landing and he was not hurt from anything. From how he looked, he was fine and like me, covered in dirt and some exhaustion there on his face. He was sporting his medic band on his arm over his combat jacket arm and his satchel along his hip, his helmet already on his head but he was still there in the middle of the aisle about 10 feet away from me, watching me like a deer in the headlights.

"Hello Eugene," I said to him softly, my own voice was ringing out in the soft chapel there and he slowly walked over to me. I must have looked like a mess to him: my helmet was off so my hair was a bit of a mess, my stature there in the pew was almost looking hunched with both pain and weariness, and I almost looked like a ghost myself.

"You're okay," he said out of the blue to me, his accent made me smile slightly from how he sounded almost like he was genuinely happy to see me.

"I think I am okay," I replied back to Eugene, seeing a small smile on his face then as he was then standing next to me at the pew, almost hesitant to just sit down next to me. I then saw him look at my folded hands, a questioning look on his face now as he was fitting it all together in his head.

"Did I interrupt your prayer?" He asked me timidly, having me shake my head.

"I was done with my prayer, just sittin' here and all," I replied, seeing him slowly walk over to sit next to me in the pew, having me feel him brush his shoulder against my own and look at the altar in front of us and the candles that were lit.

"Never took you as a religious type," he comment in a low rumble with his accent, "But I never took the guys as religious any who. I knew they knew God, but I never saw them pray to themselves, up until last night when we jumped."

"I'm not serious in my faith," I passed as I said that, "Not as serious as I want to be. My mother only prayed when we were at Christmas, a birthday, or when someone died. We were that kind of family."

"My Grandmother was the one who made me religious, my mother too but my grandmother the most. She was the one who would take me to church when my mother was sick, tellin' me that prayin' to God was the most important we can do in this life." Eugene explained to me, having me feel the guilt one again in my chest and how the guilt was eating me away from all that I did. They didn't train me for this when I was brought into the war, the side effects from what I did and how it made me feel.

"You think God would forgive me from what I did to those men?" I whispered to him, keeping my eyes dead ahead now and having that questing sinking into my head and not going anywhere. Was it even safe for me to pray to God since I was a murderer now? But I didn't expect to see Eugene looking over at me as I was looking dead ahead, seeing the candle burn in the dark church.

"You don't think you're good enough to be forgiven?" He challenged me back with another question now on his lips. I had to look at him then, seeing the softness there in his eyes as he took off his helmet and his black hair was still sticking out a bit all over the place.

"After what I did today, I don't think I am," I confessed to him, seeing him give me a small smile.

"Everyone can be forgiven if they ask for it, even those who think that they are farther away from Grace than others," Eugene explained to me, having me seeing him take in a shaky breath, "My Grandmother explained that to me, that we all are still loved by God no matter what we do and no matter how bad we feel about ourselves."

"It's kind of hard to feel it after what I have done today, and what I will do in this war," I admitted between the both of us. Eugene then scooted a bit closer to me, almost too close bit close enough for me to still feel him and see that he was trying to be more of a friend to me at this time. I was supposed to be strong after my first battle and feel invincible, but it made me feel more fragile as a human than anything.

"You did what you had to do," Eugene explained to me carefully and simply, "As tough as that sounds, you did what you had to do and what you were meant to do."

"To be a killer," I said in almost a bitter manner.

"No," Eugene cut me off shortly, almost like he was mad at me since I called myself a killer, having me look at him now and see how he was still sitting next to me and the serious look was there all over his face, "You were meant to be a leader." I had to let that one sink in, to let it sink under my skin from what he said to me and what he called me. I knew Eugene was kind to me, let alone always on my good side and giving me good talks. He could tell I was hurting from what happened to me, from what I did, and he was once again trying to fix something that was broken in front of him.

" _Mercí_." (Thank you.) I replied softly to him, seeing that small smile back on his face when I accepted his words of wisdom. We fell silent, drinking in that whole day and I then thought of something else to ask him, "How did you jump go?"

"Fine, better than I thought," He replied now in a lighter tone as he shrugged his shoulders, "Almost fell on top of a barn, but it was fine. I followed the street signs, thankfully they were in French so I could read where to go. How about you?"

"We were running more than landing," I explained, "But it was fine, we took the town within minutes without a hiccup to it."

"Sounds like you were well trained," Eugene commented between us.

"I suppose so," I said in reply, "But then again I thought it would have gone worse,"

"How?" He asked in surprise.

"I could have broken a nail or somethin'." I joked with him, hearing him laugh a bit and his laugh was somehow floating in the church and I chuckled back. it was such a light moment there with the both of us, talking about our landings in the war and how I was making such a silly joke like breaking a nail. My heart even felt lighter, it was no longer having that sting of guilt that I thought I had before.

"I'm glad you come back," He said to me suddenly, a bit out of the blue now when he was done with his laugh and I stopped too, hoping I heard him right and it almost sounded like he was genuinely glad that I was there and all in one piece.

"You didn't think I would come back?" I asked him in almost a soft tone now since I was still in a bit of shock that he would say that to me. It almost sounded like he was missing me after so many years, almost made my heart flutter a bit from how he made it sound off of his lips.

"I did," He said it like he was trying to be smooth about it instead of stammering a bit, "But I'm still glad you're here with us. It's dangerous work being a Special operations soldier."

"It's just as dangerous being a medic, a soldier without a weapon," I commented back to him, almost admitting to him that I was scared for him and how I was wondering how he got back to the rest of the men in one piece.

"I can handle it on my own," he tried to reason with me.

"As can I," I agreed, the both of us staring at each other and I could hear some of the jeeps moving off in the distance beyond the doors in the church. We both were in an agreement with one another, not to worry about one another since we knew that we were very much good within our fields. Even thought it was nice that we cared for each other, we also had to realize that we were going to get through this war sometimes on our own.

"I'm glad we can settle that between us, Corporal," I voiced, seeing him grin at me once more, once again making em feel warm all over now and having me almost feel like I was about to faint there in the pew from being next to him.

"I can agree with that, Lieutenant."

* * *

 **Carentan, France**

 **D-Day plus 6, 1944**

"What is it?" I was looking at the package that was on my lap, seeing a couple of the other guys there looking at what I had there and looking just as confused as ever. We were sitting out in the middle of the courtyard, getting ready to head into the town of Carentan and take over the place in an effort to help the other tanks and soldiers from the landings on the beach to get into the mainland. Both our placement and our success were really the main purposes for us to get them into the territory.

"Don't know," I replied, reaching in and pulling out the small contraction that was there within the box. it was something that was going to fit onto my wrist, like a bracelet of some sort, but it was bigger and almost like a bulk. It was some kind of mechanical work there, the top had what looked to be a hook there and I wondered what it was for really specifically. There was a small note within the package and I pulled it out, resting the small wrist kind of work there and seeing that it was a message from captain Matthews himself.

 _Lieutenant Bellerose. Stop._

 _This is a new invention that we found. Stop._

 _Invented by the French. Stop._

 _Twist your wrist and press button for release. Stop._

 _Use it well and carefully. Stop._

 _List of instructions is inside. Stop._

 _Talk to you soon. Stop_

 _Captain Matthews, Back Mamba Unit, U.S. Army_

"Twist your wrist?" Muck asked as I could tell he was reading the telegram too, having me look from the piece of paper over to the invention there within my other hand. I could see where I could slip my hand in and have it rest on the underside of my lower arm, near my palm and wrist there. I slipped my left hand within the opening and felt how it was resting perfectly against my skin and the weight was a bit much, but I knew I was going to get used to it.

"What kind of bracelet is it?" Guarnere asked in a huff as he was looking at it too.

"It ain't a bracelet, Gonorrhea," Liebgott said with a roll of his eyes as he was sitting on my left side, a cigarette once again in his mouth and the smoke floating in the air. We were sitting together on the small little platform of a courtyard that was in the middle of the town, the cool morning air was still there and I removed the now empty package from my lap.

"Well, then what the fuck is it then?" Guarnere asked in a more annoying tone since he was clearly not getting what was going on then. Webster was walking over then, seeing what was in my hands and he grinned, pointing to it and we all looked at him.

"It looks like a Gauntlet." None of us said anything as he pointed it out in front of us like it another item that he knew in his life. Even Liebgott looked at him in surprise, yet him being more surprised than pissed as a rare commodity.

"What that fuck is that?" Liebgott asked him now as Webster chuckled a bit in his spot and having me almost want to smile from his innocence he had compared to the others in Easy.

"It's what knights use to wear on their armor as a way of protection, kind of like a glove," Webster said in another light tone, having me kind of thankful we had a scholar amongst the men there that knew a thing or two, even some things that were meaningless. But in this case, this was quite percent to know something like this. I looked at it some more, seeing how it was created with plenty of hours and then seeing the blade upon the top of it. It was no longer than my middle finger but thicker and more sturdy than any other blade that I have ever seen.

I got intrigued, grabbed the blade and then pulling it out from the new weapon preset and then seeing that it was attached to something, within the gauntlet there. There, attached to the end of the blade, was a chain that was coiled up within the invention and I was pulling it out and the chain was following. The rest of the boys went silent, surprised from what they were seeing and having me go in shock too. This seemed more of a spy kind of weapon to wear, not for me. How did the French think of something like this?

"Jesus," Muck said in a low tone now, all of us were quiet as well as I was seeing the chain slowly from the Gauntlet and the blade there within my fingers. Were my captains expecting me to wear something like this at all times and right with it? How was I going to do that? It seemed more like a burden to wear something like this than anything really, and I had to find out how to use it since I was never trained in it.

"You gonna use it?" Guarnere asked me as I was still noticing the others were watching me retract the chain back into its spot in the Gauntlet and then the blade, hearing it click into place.

"Not right now," I replied.

'Why?" Webster asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know how to use this thing yet, and the last thing I want to do is to either break it or kill someone on accident," I explained as I moved the gauntlet off my wrist now and moved my wrist around tog et some feeling back in it, "I'll train with it a bit to get used to how it works."

"Wouldn't want you to cut off somebody's head on accident," Liebgott said in almost a joke now as I thought of the mere dread of something like that an accident. It was at that time when I heard some more of the men coming into the square, maybe those who were lost after the landing and we trying to find their way here, the pinpoint. I didn't recognize most of the men, only Shifty Powers, Sisk and Talbert with a reluctant young Blithe.

But the others around me did, leaving me there to go and greet them with some of the trinkets and other positions that they grabbed on the journey. It was a nice small reunion for them, having me get up and still hold the gauntlet within my hand and think of a time that I could train myself with it. It was still such a piece of weaponry that no other soldier was going to work with, so I had to know how to use it and to my ways.

* * *

"Where did everybody go?!"

"I have no idea!"

Once again, all I could hear around me was gunfire, plenty of it now since we were in a smaller town and it was now a battlefield there. I placed the Gauntlet aside for that battle, not seeing it as a good idea to work with something like that, and I relied mostly on my rifle and the small weapons I was carrying with me. It was another battle that I had to get through, to push the guilt behind me and to focus on making sure that Easy was not going to be hurt throughout this battle. I had to remind myself of what Eugene told me some time before, back in that church with the two of us there and our small reunion.

I had to remind myself that I was a leader, not a murderer.

I was trying to find my way up into one of the buildings to get to the roof, hoping that I was going to dodge the firing from the Germans that were coming our way as the rest of the men were running into the town in small groups. I was already dirty and getting my own brain rattled with what was going on as I found one building, more stable than the others around it and I bolted inside, ready to fend myself off. Running up the stairs, I couldn't hear anyone there within that building that could jeopardize me from getting my job done, which made getting to the top of the building a breeze.

The air was still cool against me though it was the summertime as I got my rifle ready and created over to the edge of the rooftop, thinking that were would be other Germans on roofs now to see what was going on and to take them out from below. I had to be the one for Easy to do that, Shifty was on the ground level and that was already one less sniper. Bullets were popping left and right, grades were heard off in the distance and I had to be sure that I was going to help out the boys down on the street. I had to be quick, just like in my training.

I grabbed my fingerless gloves from my pocket and I slipped them on in record time and then cocking my rifle at the ready. Once again, my hair was under my bandana under my helmet, my other bandana was over my mouth to both conceal my identity and to make this whole job as s sniper easier.

I went to the side, placing my rifle over the top now and looking for the first one, mostly on the top of the rooftops along the road. I could see at least two other snipers in plain sight, aiming at the men below and I shot at each of them, taking my time from the first one falling back on the rooftop and then the second one falling on the ground from toppling over the edge and hitting the pavement in a thump.

Two down, and plenty to go.

I saw another one running along the edge of the street over to where some of the men were trying it fend for themselves, having me shoot at his back and see him fall. I cocked again, looking for more to take out. I was good for a moment or two before I could see some more trouble going on down the street, my own side of the street and the town was slowing down in the combat. I moved out of the way from the roof where I was, getting my rifle back on my back and then running over to the edge where I knew I had to jump to get to the other rooftop. I didn't know if that rooftop was stable for me if I was going to collapse with the building from the new weight or the battle hitting it hard.

I had to take a chance now.

I went into a full run, hearing some of the gunfire right behind me thinking that the Germans found me on the rooftop and they are trying to gun me down. I had to be faster now, getting closer and closer to the edge. It already made me think of being back to being a ballerina again, an innocent one that had a full life ahead of her. It was my training of leaping from one spot on the floor to another, the countless leaps I had to do in order to make it right.

I leaped, over the gap like it was nothing but a breeze.

Once I landed, the roof was stable enough for me to keep going and to not stop running. I wanted to make it over to the edge of town where I knew they were going to be in the most danger and the heaviest fire. I was not called to be on the sidelines, and I won't be now. I leaped again over another gap between the buildings, getting faster and faster now as the guns and grades were sounding bigger and bigger. I was getting closer to my target now as I did one more leap before skidding to a halt.

I was back at the corner of town, seeing more action there and the tank coming through now as some of the men were running around, trying to gun down the Germans. I went over to the edge of that roof, some of it were already in shambles and I was gunning down a few more men there that were close enough to be dangerous for Easy. I was about to be done when I saw something that made me heart almost stop and panic within a moment. I could see the soldier, see _him_ , there along the road and running to a wounded soldier, satchel hitting his hip as he ran, and the Medic armband there.

Eugene, and a gun was pointed right at him from thirty feet away.

"Shit," I mumbled, aiming right at the gunman who was about to take his life, and take him away from the men. To take him away from me, oh god. Even after we had our talk about how we were going to take care of ourselves and we knew what to do, I was no longer thinking of how he was going to be okay, but how he was supposed to be alive and I was going to make sure that happened. I didn't know if he knew there was a gun aiming right at him. He had to make it, he was important to the company in how he was the medic. He had no gun, he no idea how to dodge a bullet like how I did.

I had to save him.

I shot once, seeing the blood pour out of the man's throat as he cried out and hunched over the small window he was behind, dead. Eugene heard him, stopping his running and looking in almost shock. Did he realize he was that close to death, I hoped he did as I looked up from my rifle and watched to see what he was going to do next? But another sound went off, having em snap away from him and see what was going on, my thoughts of Eugene were slowly dying away now.

There was a tank over where I could see, coming onto the street and over to what looked like a larger warehouse where some of the men were there holding their ground. Lipton was yelling at them to move out of the way and out of harms way, but he then flew back from the mass force that was hit against him. He hit the wall hard, almost getting too much and some blood there was seen on him, having me panic a bit as some more shots were heard. Once more, I grabbed my rifle at the ready and shot at some more of the Germans that were either retreating or just trying to hold on for a few more seconds.

The smoked cleared, and the firing stopped finally. I looked up over the horizon and saw a peace once again over the small town with our small victory. I would be feeling that guilt that I had before, but this time.

I smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

_Dear Olivia,_

 _I take it that since you did not write back to me in June, I am to assume that you got word about my decision involving my will. Please understand that I thought long and hard about this decision that I made, but for what you have done to me and to this family is far from being looked over. I don't know whether or not it's an act of defiance to your father and me, but I don't find it at all appropriate for a young lady such as yourself to go against our wishes and our judgment to go join the war as a soldier. Did you think of what kind of scandalous talk there will be with our family? I didn't think you did._

 _It broke my heart to take you out of my will, but it had to be done. I was not going to be swayed with you being defiant and not know your true calling in this family. I only thought you were going to look past what happened with you and Elliot, as any respectable young lady would. But you decided to plaster our family name in scandal and shame._

 _I only wish the best for you, and someday you might come back and explain yourself to me. I still love you, I hope you know that._

 _Your mother,_

 _Jane Bellerose_

* * *

 **September 13th, 1944,**

 **Aldbourne, England**

"Come on, Buck, hit the bull's eye!" I was sitting near Webster in the middle of the crowded room of a bar where Easy Company was having a night off and trying to relax. They were all in their dress greens, myself included, and mostly having drinks and having a conversation with one another. After our success in Carentan and along the outer region with a trek through the countryside, we were taken back to Aldbourne for a moment or two to catch our breath before ew were shipped out again.

Or at least, they were shipped out again.

I haven't heard from Black Mamba since the 1st night of the war, having me wonder if the army was ever going to let us do any other Operations. Did they not think we were good enough with our first one? It made me wonder even more as I saw Bull walk back over to Buck with the darts, congratulating him with his aim.

"Thanks, Bull," Buck replied to him as Webster spoke up to me.

"Have you learned how to use that gauntlet yet?" He asked, having me look at him as he took a sip from his beer.

"A few times here and there, but I'm still workin' on it," I answered, "Still can't imagine why they want me to play with the damn thing."

"Cause you're a son of a bitch that's why!" Joe Liebgott hooted as he plopped down in the chair next to Webster, leaning back casually in contrast to Webster who was sitting a bit more on the formal side. Webster gave him a confused look, in which Joe shrugged his shoulders," What? They saw her swingin' and they wanna give her fire power!"

"I don't think that Gauntlet is fire power," I advised.

"To hell, it isn't! If I was a Kraut seeing you run over to me with that thing on your wrist, I'd run for the hills!" Joe explained as he chugged a bit from his beer.

"Must you use that kind of language around a lieutenant, not to mention a young woman?" Webster asked him in agitation. Joe eyed him, having me already see another spat between the two of them about to emerge and I had to smile.

"Must you have a dictionary shoved up your ass all the time, college boy?" He replied back cooly.

"Hey, leave him, Joe," I ordered softly to him, Joe looking away from Webster reluctantly and taking another swig of his beer before looking behind the both of us and pointing to the new recruits with his thumb.

"What'ya think of the newbies, lieutenant?" He asked me in curiosity.

"They have potential," I replied, seeing him eye me with a hint of shock there.

"You think they have potential?" He asked in almost denial.

"Sure, I mean that's what they would want to hear. No new private or replacement wants to hear that they're not good enough," I explained, seeing Webster nod in agreement, "Never good for the morale of the men. Doesn't matter if they jumped with us, trained with us, or just started with us, they're one of us now."

"Well said, Lieutenant," Webster said in agreement, having me smile at him and Joe roll his eyes as I got up from my chair.

"Brown nose," Joe grumbled to Webster now as I turned around to see a redheaded new private talking to Guarnere, Johnny and Bull now and they were pointing to some of the other privates. I figured I would walk over there and have my face be seen since this private was with us since the ending of Carentan when he joined up. His real name was Edward, but for some reason, he asked for the men to call him Babe.

"Babe, have you met the Lieutenant from Special Ops?" Buck asked him in wonder as he saw me walking over, grinning at me and the redheaded private shook his head, holding out his for me to shake and I shook it back politely, "Lieutenant Bellerose from Louisiana, like Doc. She's working with Easy Company until she gets an Operation herself,"

"You don't say?" Babe asked me with his thick Philadelphia accent ringing between us, having me nod as he cracked a grin at me, "Bill told me about your unit, Black Mamba. I gotta say, I'm honored to meet one of ya."

"You make her sound like a celebrity, boy," Bull said in a chuckle as he stood behind me.

"Their reputation's spreading around the companies like wildfire, sir!" Babe explained to him and then looked at me, "The other guys from the other companies, they're hearin' about the first all-female company in the army and how they're kicking ass."

"Well, good thing those ain't rumors then," Guarnere said in a grin, the others chuckled as Babe eyed me up and down.

"So, is what they're sayin' true? How Black Mamba took out 15 Germans within minutes with nothing bigger than a shotgun?" He sounded like a young boy hearing a tall tale from an old master of some sort, having em chuckle from hearing the enthusiasm there in his voice and seeing it in his eyes too.

"If what you're hearin' is correct, then I guess so, Private," I replied back, seeing him crack a bigger grin now as Luz walked over and clasped him on the shoulder.

"They're the most dangerous and beautiful women I have ever seen. Lieutenant here roundhouse kicked a grown man to the ground before he could touch of one her girls, which one of your friends was the one who knocked out the 250 pounder with a kick to the face?" Luz asked me in a casual manner.

"Sergeant Harper," I replied back.

"No shit?" Babe asked in an excited manner, then almost stumbled a bit from the use of words in front of me and he stammered a bit, "Sorry, ma'am."

"I've heard worse from these men," I said in a grin, the other boys were eyeing each other and grinning because they knew it was true, "Don't pick up from their habits, especially from George Luz here."

"Hey!" Luz said in a reported voice as I moved away from the men and back over to Webster now, whom was still sitting alone and I figured Joe moved away from him and over with Popeye for a conversation.

"Webster, have you seen Doc?" I asked him, seeing him think to himself before shaking his head.

"Afraid not, ma'am. I don't think he ever came inside the bar when we did," He replied.

"Is he outside?" I questioned.

"Maybe, he donut's like to drink with us," Webster answered, having me nod my head and move away from him again, seeing out of the corner of my eye Guarnere talking over to the privates that were waiting for Babe and talking to them. For some reason, I wanted to check in with Doc and make sure he was doing okay, since the last time I saw him he was running around in Carentan and I saved him from almost dying from a German soldier. Another haunting question came to my head; did he know it was me? Did he even think about the fact that I was the one who saved his life?

It scared me to think such a thing.

I was greeted by the cool night outside the bar area, the loud noises of the men were still heard inside as I was breathing in slowly and having a quick moment of peace there in the night air. After receiving that last letter from my mother, seeing how she hated what I did and she thought I brought scandal to the family, it was enough to make me sick to my stomach on how my mother truly thought of herself and the family name. The name was more important than her daughter I suppose.

I then thought of Eugene again, knowing that I came out there for a purpose and I looked around a bit to try and find him again. I saw nothing at first in the small town, but it took me a moment or two to see a figure there, sitting at the bench across the street all by himself now and it made me freeze to make sure it was Eugene. He was in dress greens like the rest of the men, but he was so still like a statue then that it made me wonder if he was breathing at all.

It was Eugene all right.

I could tell how he was sitting there, looking somewhere that was not in my direction and a look of thought on his face then like he was off in another time within his own brain. He always had that look about him, whether out in the field as a medic or just by himself. I was debating whether or not to give him space.

The door opened behind me, having me look and hear the sudden noise from inside breaking the silence of the street, and breaking my look on my close friend there on the bench. It was Nixon, standing there with a piece of paper in his hand and having me salute him.

"Sir," I said to him, seeing him chuckle and salute me back now as if it was some kind of game out of it, half-heartedly.

"No need for those with me, Bellerose, we're both officers really," he said in a smooth manner, having me lower my hand as he walked over to me, "I got this from CP, it's a telegram for you. You have another mission to get to tomorrow in the morning."

I took the paper from him and read it through to see what it would say what I was going to do next. Once again, it seemed like a simple task, way too simple for the Black Mamba to get through. I had to wonder if they were just giving us simple jobs to keep us busy, or they were afraid toggle us operations that were dangerous and almost life threatening.

"Trust me, I don't get it either, " I looked up when Nixon said that to me as he looked at the paper and shoved his hands in his pockets,"A Special Operations Unit doing such a mundane operation that a company full of privates can do in their sleep."

"You read the information?" I asked him in a hint go confusion, seeing him shrug his shoulders at me as if it was nothing.

"I am the intelligence officer for Easy, after all it is my job to know things more than other, including when and where you're with Black Mamba and with Easy. I have to keep an eye on you in case your Captain needs you," Nixon explained to me calmly as I looked at the paper one more time before looked up at him with my own thoughts on the matter.

"Where will Easy be? Here I suspect?" I asked him, seeing him shake his head.

"We just got word we're going to be jumping into Holland, a small town where we're going to liberate it: Eindhoven. It's a clean liberation job, nothing more to see there than old men and children when it comes to resistance," He answered me as I looked back at the paper once more.

"Will I miss the liberation?" I asked.

"Not unless you get back there in time." Nixon replied with a hint of hope there within his voice, I looked back at home from what he said, or how he said it to me. He was convinced that I was going to make it back to the men in time for them to get to Holland and do their next battle of liberation. He had faith in me, something I needed to hear and see since I was getting lower and lower within myself thanks to my mother and her need to rub in my disownment with salt to the wound. Nixon, on the other hand, was more of an optimistic with me when it came to my leadership and what I can give to the army and to Easy.

"I'll try, sir," I replied to him calmly, seeing him rack his grin at me and nod.

"I know you will Lieutenant."

* * *

 **September 19th, 1944**

 **Helmond, Netherlands**

This town was quiet, even for us as we made our way into the town, going off in pairs and taking our times to get into the town some small steps at a time. Captain Josephine joined us for this mission now, having me be her pair as we were weaving our way through the town now and sharing how quiet it was. Most of the men were gone, in fact, most of the people were gone now as we were walking and some of the other members were looking around too. Was this some kind of trick?

"Why isn't there anyone here?" I asked Josephine now under my breath as we were walking out into the open, combat gear in hand and thinking that something was going to come out and strike us. I was waiting to hear something pop out, a bullet or something like that. But nothing, which had me more on edge than anything.

"Keep your eyes out for anything that could happen," She said to me as we walking along the streets of the town, having me look around a bit more before we could hear some people walking our way, the both of us looking. It surprised me, seeing that it was the British that were there, along with some of the Dutch citizens and they saw us. I could recognize the British uniform there, but what I didn't think I would be able to see, was that the soldier was a woman.

It blew me away.

"Hello, you must be Americans!" One of the Dutch citizens said in a light manner, a young adult with youth in his eyes. We both were a still taken back from seeing a female British soldier in front of us, her smile was kind and she was feminine in her face, but how she was walking in her uniform showed once again that she was a soldier there.

"Welcome to Helmond," He said to the both of us, shaking hands with us, "You came just in time. The British are here to help comb out the radicals that might still be in town."

"We're with Special Operations for the Untied States, Black Mamba Company," Josephine stated to him, seeing him eye both myself and her at the same time in a hint of shock, "Where is everyone else?"

"Most of the citizens ended up over in the neighboring town, Eindhoven," The British soldier explained to us both, having me perk up a bit to hear the town, "There was a celebrating the other day for the liberation that is happening from the American Airborne Infantry. The only ones that are left over here are who we are keeping an eye out on."

"Are there plenty of Germans within the towns?" I asked her in curiosity.

"Not that we know at the moment, but from what British Intelligence has collected, the Germans are trying to keep a tight grip here on the Netherlands before their advancement," She answered me now. It sounded like the Netherlands are getting more and more along the side of the Germans instead of the Allies. But from what I could see, clearly from Eindhoven and from what was in front of me, a resistance was fuming with the Dutch people and they were not going to give up without a fight.

"Some of us decided to stay over here in Helmond in case of some attack that could happen from the Germans, we're trying to collect information with the soldiers with our counterattacks and phone calls and radio communications," The Dutch resistance fighter told us now as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "So far, we've been retrieving information about the Germans going through the Netherlands and advancing their troops."

"The British are already all over this," The British soldier added in.

"And so will the Americans," Josephine agreed, "Is there any way you can give us some of the papers and reports you confiscated?"

"Of course, they're this way," The dutch fighter said and he lead the way over to the main square, but we only took a few seconds of walking before we saw one of the main warehouses explode from a tank attack. We all stopped and were pushed over to the side, away from sight as the dutch resistance fighter started yelling out in Dutch to whoever was nearby, the bullets were heard once again now and I got my rifle out and ready.

"Germans! They found their way here and are trying to snuff us out!" The Dutch fighter explained in a yelp as another bomb went off in another warehouse to the left of the one already in debris and flames.

"Get your men out of there and to safety!" Josephine said to him as I looked around to find any sign of a German who was conducting this mass destruction. They knew we were here, they must have seen us walking into the town and were trying to snuff us out while we were in this territory. I had to have faith that the rest of Black Mamba was going to be fine and they got out of arms way before anything else was to happen.

"Lieutenant, I need you to go and find the bomber get him out of the way before more people get hurt!" Josephine ordered me.

"Yes, captain," I replied, the British soldier walking over to me.

"Come, I know a faster way," She said to me now as we were then once again running along the fallen buildings that were getting more and more damage from whoever was bombing us. I was trying to outrun the fallen bricks and glass as we turned the corner and I followed her across the street, thinking that we were going to be hit as she got herself into the fallen warehouse, but it was still upright and I was wondering what she was thinking of doing next.

"Ladies! Report!" She said as soon as she got inside the damaged room, there were turned tables and bricks all over the places, things already torn to shreds and the assembly tables already abandoned. I saw a few more British soldiers, all females, popping up from random places within the large assembly room and they ran over to the first soldier I was with. I then figured it out in my head, she was the commander of the group. Just like Josephine was the commander of Black Mamba.

"Ladies, this is a Lieutenant from the Special Operations Unit with the Americans, Black Mamba. They're here to help with the Germans in the town and finish them off," She explained to them and then looked over at me now, "I'm Agent Carter, we're with the Special Operations Executive from England. We came here to help with other agents that are stationed here in the Netherlands from the war."

"I've never heard of it," I explained to her in an honest manner.

"Well, if you did, we would have to kill you. But given the circumstances, we'll let you go this one," She replied to me now as another bomb was heard two buildings down from us and the ground shook. She immediately looked back at the ladies, "Station yourselves for a counter attack. She is a sniper that will help locate and disarm the bomber and whomever else is out there."

They were off in a flash, having me almost look myself in a daze that there were other women out here fighting a war, resistance fighters and agents from England who were doing the same thing that we were doing. And here I thought we were alone in this war, I was wrong completely as I followed Carter over to the set of stairs and to the nearest window. More bullets were heard and the shouting of the fighters and soldiers rang in the air, English, Dutch and Germans were ringing high into the sky now in desperation as I looked through the window to find out where the shooter was.

"Most of the heavy hitting that this town is getting near the north along the road there," Carter pointed in that area, having me look too and see a slew of men there, Germans, holding their ground and shooting back at some of the resistance fighters. I cocked my gun, getting my fingerless gloves out and ready to use as another round of rifles were heard from another part of the town.

"I count at least ten of them out in the open, not counting the ones in hiding," I explained to her as I looked through the scope and took one shot, seeing one fall to the floor and then I cocked, doing it again.

"I'll give you cover in case they find you, take out what you can if you would kindly," She said to me, already going silent as I took out a few more men before they could realize where I was. I think she was stunned from what she was seeing, having me move my rifle away from the sight and looking over at her.

"Bloody hell, are you sure you're American?" She asked me in a breath of air now and a small smile on her lips.

"Very much so, ma'am." I replied back to her, hearing some running steps coming our way from the stairs, we both looked and both dived out of the way before we were shot: Some of the Germans found us. I loved to be behind one of the shelves and Carter was near the wall behind a fallen table as the guns were ringing out, having em wait a moment or two before they stopped and I looked around the corner. I counted five of them, all of whom were a bit bigger than me now as I lowered the rifle and grabbed a smoke grande, pulling the pin and throwing it over in their direction. Smoke rose, the men were coughing and not knowing what was going on.

It was my turn to run over.

I sprinted, over to the middle of the smoke and finding one of the men there, grabbing his arm to break it with my knee as I threw it down over my knee cap and he cried out, dropping his luger and I grabbed it from the floor to shot at the second man. A third got me with a knife along my jawline, having em duck but already feel the cut along my skin. heard grunting and punching from the other side of the room, and as the smoke cleared and I took out the last man with a punch to the jaw, I saw what was making the noise.

It was Carter, standing alone with her fists at her sides and two fallen soldiers, already dead. I had to smile from seeing that.

"You sure you're English?" I asked her, almost mirroring what she asked me some time before. She grinned at me.

"Very much so, Lieutenant."

* * *

 **Outside Eindhoven**

I made it back that night to the men after we took care of the Germans there in Helmond and we were released to head back to our companies. The cut on my jaw was deep enough to end stitching, but since we had no medic with us and neither did the resistance or the agents, I had to wait until I was somewhere safe in order to get it looked at. So I resorted to placing fabric over the cut to stop the bleeding, which worked. I was more than happy to head back, in hopes that the men were going okay from their liberation that they had to do in Eindhoven. From what was told to me before I left, by Nixon himself, this was supposed to be an easy liberation and Operation for them.

I was mistaken.

Once I got out of the jeep, I saw that some of the men were held up in the countryside, outside the city, which was the first clue that something happened that was not according to plan. They all looked tired, shell shocked, no longer looking like that they had another victory under their belt. No, they look defeated and worn out, having me becoming more scared as to what happened.

I walked into the barn that some of the men were in, seeing them all scattered about in the barn there

Perconte was the one who saw me, perking up a bit as I walked in.

"Lieutenant Bellerose?" He asked, the others looking too and getting up from their spot to walk over to me now. I could see it in their eyes and how they walked, something was wrong. Johnny looked miserable, as did the others.

"What happened?" I asked him now, seeing Johnny looked over at the others who were so bent out of shape.

"We had to retreat Eindhoven, it was too much for us tot try and get out of there in one piece. The Germans were there, most that we didn't plan on seeing," Johnny explained to me, taking in another breath now, "Bull's MIA."

"How did that happen?" I asked him, in shock from hearing about Bull and how he was not there with the men.

"He got separated from his platoon while the battle was going on," Johnny explained to me, Malarky moving over to me now with a look on his eye as he pointed to my jaw.

"Jesus, Lieutenant, what happened to you?" he asked, having me realize what he was talking about and I touch my jaw again, squinting a bit in pain now as the pain was back there along my skin.

"That's a nasty cut you got," Johnny said in agreement as I moved my hand down from my jaw.

"Don't worry about me, I'm more worried about Bull. When was the last time anyone as seen him?" I asked him. no longer wanting me to be in the spotlight when I knew Bull and his location was more important.

"Not since we battle earlier today, ma'am." Malarky explained to me from his spot behind Johnny, "Some of the men are talking about going out there tonight to go and find him."

"It's too dangerous for us to go out there right now, the town is still occupied with the Germans, Winters wouldn't allow it," Johnny reminded him, almost sounding bitter about it within his own tone. It made me think for a moment or two, knowing that Winters was not going to send his own men out there since it was dangerous he could lose more men.

But I wasn't one of his men.

"Doc, look who's back!" The men moved out of the way now as I saw Eugene Roe, walking into the barn how in a huff now as he was looking right at me in almost a panic. He must have heard I was back, or someone saw my jeep coming in a they told him. Either way, he knew I was back and it looked like he ran over to see me. Did he? I was about to say something to him, but he brushed his way through the men there and he looked right at my jaw, seeing the dark deep cut there along my jawline. For some reason, being there in front of him and see him almost reach up to touch it there, it made me freeze within my spot for the first time in a long time. I was genuinely frozen in front of a young man there, since when do I do that? It was morbid and downright weird.

"What happened?" He asked, already in his medic mode.

"I fended off a few soldiers that were tryin' to kill me," I explained to him, seeing him analyze the wound with his eyes and his hand touching my jaw where it was not damaged to get a better look. The butterflies within my stomach were back again, damn it.

"We need to fix it up before it gets infected," He explained to me in a huff now as he then grabbed my arm to lead me away from the way, I followed reluctantly and feeling more like a shameful child who was scolded in front of her friends by her parent. He lead me out of the main room, the men watching and having em wonder if they were thinking the same thing I was thinking within my own head: what the hell was up with Doc.

Once he got me into another room, a small one that seemed to be the closet for the farming tools, he then whirled around and faced me, looking more relieved to see me and scared too. He hugged me close, not a fierce hug, but I felt it down to my core as I hugged him back. He didn't want to show this kind of affection t the others in the room, he wanted it to be alone, and I wanted the same. It's been awhile since I saw him, and it felt good to hug him close.

Once he pulled away from me, scanning his blue eyes on my body to make sure nothing else was damaged to hurt.

"You okay?" He asked me, having me nod at him in return before he spoke up again, "I didn't see ya in a few days and I got a bit worried."

"I thought we agreed not to worry over each other," I tried to tease him with a small smile, but he was not buying it for one moment.

"Don't scare me like that! Okay?" He asked in a huff now, having me feel like I broke his heart for not saying goodbye to him some days before, or even letting him know here I was. I didn't know how big of an impact he had on me, or what kind of impact I had on him. I knew we both had an agreement to not worry about the other, that we both knew what we were doing, but then again, it was hard not to worry about the other since we were closer now in our friendship. So, in this sense, I had to give him and let him know that I was going to be okay.

"Okay," I replied.


	14. Chapter 14

"It's not deep, but it's not a scare either," Currently I was sitting on the edge of a table that was set up in the room now, Eugene working on my jaw now after we had our metal agreement that I scared that crap out of him and almost got him petrified for not knowing where I was. I did blame myself in that moment, since I should have told him what was going to happen to me back in Aldbourne so many night ago, seeing him sit out on the street and have his own thoughts in his head. I should have told him then, I knew that now since he was working on my jaw and I was trying to avoid his eye contact like he was going to give me the look of shame.

"How'd ya get it?" He asked calmly from his spot,t placing under stitch into my skin to wrap it around and keep it there. I was staying still the whole time, trying to find a way to tell him what happened to me.

"Fought off another German soldier who was about to cut me deeper," I explained as he got another stitch ready to go with his pack near him on the table, "I didn't expect him to get me near the jaw."

"Well, you got out lucky," he explained, "An inch lower and it would have been an artery.

"I think that's what he was aiming for," As soon as I said it, I knew I said the wrong thing to him. Eugene passed in his work on my wound, almost drinking in what I said and I sighed softly, thinking that I just made him feel worse now that I said it out in the blue like i.e. was a regular conversation.

"I'm sorry, Eugene," I said to him softly now, thinking that I had to fix the mess I made then and there with him.

"It's fine," He replied.

"Not it isn't."

"It's like we talked about: We shouldn't be worried about each other," he said almost bluntly, having me almost feel my own heart break from how he was making it sound like it was no big deal. I had to talk to him about it, since I was the one who opened the floodgate. I greatly grasped his hand that was reaching down to grab another stitch, seeing him stop too and have me look right at him, to try and read him though at times it was downright impossible.

"Eugene," I said in a low tone, almost careful again as I was trying to find the right words for him on my tongue,"Are you okay?" it seems like a loaded question I was giving him, a real big one since he paused once again and then took in a hard breath through his nose.

"They taught us not to be close to the men, back in trainin'," He explained to me in almost a breathy tone, like it was hard for him to talk about it and get it out of his system, "Medics are never to be close to another soldier in case the soldier…or the medic…dies. We can't have an emotional tie to those whom can be lost within the battles."

"You can't be close to people?" I asked him to make sure I had it right? It didn't seem right, to not be close to your fellow soldiers and to consider them friends. Why would he have to hold them an arm's length away and not even bat an eye to them? At first, I didn't think as to why he was saying this to me. It took me a moment, a solid moment, to finally realize why he was saying this to me.

He was warning me.

"You can't be close to me," I stated in a almost monotone kind of manner. I knew it was true, I knew he was trying to tell me without saying it dead on, that he and I could not be close friends anymore. I only wondered why I didn't know this sooner to save myself the trouble, the constant thoughts and mindless dreams that I had with him there constantly with my brain. It seemed too good to be true, and for me to be a proper officer I had to look pass it and go with his wishes.

But why was this killing me on the inside?

"I understand," I replied back to him, seeing him finish with the last stitch after I was thinking to myself again for a long moment or two. He then looked over at me, seeing that I heard what he said and how I was no longer smiling or feeling so great about what he explained to me. He moved away a fraction from me, as if he was giving me space and I hopped down from the table then. For some reason, I didn't want to be in the same room as him, just hearing him almost reject me in a way that was both subtle and painful. I knew he never meant to make it sound like it, he didn't have the heart to be cruel. but it was still cruel none the less.

"I'm going out to find Bull," I said in the small room, moving away for him like he was poison and if he was going to touch me then I would be poisoned and killed. I didn't even want to look at him then as I moved across the room, rifle back in hand and throwing the strap over my shoulder. I had a job to do, not to wallow about something I thought I wanted and I thought I should have. It was time to be a soldier, not a hopeless dreamer, "Thank you for the stitches."

"Olive," he called out to me, no longer short like he was before but almost like he was regretting what he did, but I kept going. I was a first lieutenant for God's sake, not a young woman pinning over a young man whom she thought she had feelings for. I had to get my mind back to in order, and if it was for me to get this kind of ride awakening for it to happen, then so be it.

I had to wash my hands clean.

* * *

I walked out into the open fields again, the men there were talking to each other and trying to keep warm with the small fires they had going on and around the area. I recognized Guarnere as he eyed me coming out of the barn and he ran over to me, though I was still in a beeline over to the edge of our area and going back to the town again.

"Bellerose!" He called out, having me stop and look over at him now to see him give me a confused look. I had my rifle across my back, wrapping my bandana around my neck and my helmet back on my head, "Where are you going?"

"To go find Bull," I replied, seeing him give me a warning look.

"I don't think that's a great idea," He said in hesitance, having me suddenly give him a stern look and show where I was standing as an officer in front of him. This was not the time for someone to tel me what to do and how to do it. I mad up my now choice, and it was bad enough to go through such an awkward situation like I just had with Eugene.

"My job here in this company is to protect its soldiers from any harm, Sergeant Guarnere, " I reminded him in a calm manner, "One of your men has gone mission, and it is my job to find that missing soldier and being him back to his platoon unharmed."

"Does Winters know you're gonna go out there?" Guarnere asked me, having me raise an eyebrow to him.

"Is he my captain?" I countered back with him, shifting in my spot a bit in the darkness of the night.

"No," he replied, having me nod at him once.

"Then I don't answer to him, I'll answer to my own Captain for the time being," I answered, seeing him almost want to cock a grin but he was trying to hold it back himself. I knew that something was going to happen to me because of this decision, but then again I still had to place my own part with Easy. I still had to be a Captain and help out the men in Easy, make sure they were safe, and not one man be left behind.

"Still, you goin' by yourself?" He asked me, almost like he was afraid for me to be alone there and no one there to back me up. I had to smile from how he sounded, how he even looked a bit concerned. Even when I was with the men or months and months on end, they still were trying to look out for me and make sure I was okay. I didn't mind it, but given the recent events and how I was finding out where I belonged in the army, I needed to be alone more than ever.

"Wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

I scaled the rooftops that night, walking too and for over the town to see if I could find something, anything, that could lead me to Bull. It was still dark, but the flames were dying down by the time I got there, a couple of German soldiers here and there walking around on patrol and talking amongst each other. I was so quiet that they couldn't hear me, in my dark attire that made it impossible for them to see me. I walked along the rooftops, looking down and around at the places I would think he would be.

Nothing. Not one thing.

Guarnere told the others nothing of what I was doing, and it was better that way than for the men to find out and get in trouble for not telling Winters anything about me going off on a manhunt. I was not going to have the men get in trouble for me, and if something were to happen, I would be able to take care of myself and not have a handful of men to defend me.

It still bothered me though, as I jumped for rooftop to rooftop without making a sound, what I talk with Eugene about and how it made me feel more and more bitter on my tongue and within my head. It felt both pitiful on how we left the conversation, and a hint of betrayal though it was never supposed to be that way. It was a reminder of my job and my duty, clearly I was not there to make friends. At least, not with Eugene.

By the time I combed through the town with a hefty comb of my eyes, I saw nothing of Bull and it was making me own nerves worse on the edge. Where was he? He wasn't the kind of soldier to go fro on his own and not leave some kind of clue behind to have us know where he is. This was not looking good in his favor.

Where was Bull?

The morning was creeping over the horizon now, the fires in Eindhoven and it was less of a disaster town now with smoke rising into the sky to slowly melt away. Easy was going to move out within the morning rising and I was going to report back to England to check in with Captain Josephine and Captain Mathews. A part of me was glad to be out of there, away from the men and to get some of my own thoughts in check. Still, the other part of me was feeling a bit on the edge of leaving the men, the friends I met and even those whom I thought I was close with but was not entirely.

I stood out there in the field, seeing the jeep pulling up over next to me now as I was getting my own things ready to head back to the nearest plane and over to England again. Some of the men were out too, talking with each other and Bull was their main topic. Bull was not back yet, and the men ere getting restless, including me.

"Lieutenant," I looked over my shoulder to hear someone walking over in my direction now, seeing Joe walk over to me with Babe as well, the three of them seeing me place some of my weapons there in the jeep, "You leavin' already?"

"Back to England I go," I replied to the three of them like it was nothing, another conversation, but I could see it in how they were looking at me. They didn't want me to go, their eyes were telling me this and who they were standing so hesitantly there in front of me,

"How long you gonna be there for?" Babe asked me as I got the last piece of equipment there into the jeep before I answered them.

"I don't know, but hopefully I will get back to you boys in less than a month," I reassured them all, seeing them nod their head ash Joe was scratching the back of his head with either nervousness or with confusion there.

"Well, we're gonna miss you, Lieutenant," Joe said it like he was admitting what was on his head, having me smile slightly at him now.

"You have a heart after all," I joked with him, then seeing him eye me with sarcasm.

"That's all you're gonna get, ma'am," He replied, moving away from me then and babe then taking a few steps over to me, grabbing something from his jacket pocket. I looked to see what it was, an envelope with my name written on the top.

"Doc wanted me to give this to you," he said to me as he held the envelope between the both of us, having me freeze a bit now since he mentioned Doc. I didn't think the both of them were tight together as friends, but then again on how Babe said it, he was having a sense of hope there within his tone. I took the envelope carefully within my fingers, looking at his writing right at the top of the envelope and I saw that he wrote my name there. I was trying to avoid him, I really was as childish as it sounded. But then again as I saw my name there in his handwriting, I wanted to see what he had to say.

"Thanks, Babe," I thanked him, seeing him shift once or twice before he spoke up again with his Philadelphia accent.

"He's been torn up since last night," Babe explained to me in almost a hesitant manner as he was still standing there in front of me, "I tried talkin' to him and all, but he was sore all over about something he said to you."

I didn't know what else to say to Babe, or what to say to him in general. It made me feel bad for not going back there to Eugene, to try and talk to him when he was trying to reach back out to me. Babe shuffled a bit more, not being able to think to say anything else to me and he walked away from me and over to the rest of the guys. I looked away from him and wanted to open the letter, I really did. But then again this was not the place for me to read this. I had to get my own mind in order with what I was going to go in England.

"Bull!" I heard Johnny call out in almost a tone of joy. I looked over too, seeing that it was too good to be true. There was Bull, standing there with the boys around him and clasping him on the shoulder and talking to him. I was glad he was there and he was totally fine, looking like he had somewhat of a rough night but he was fine none the less. Good for Bull, knowing how to get himself back from being missing all night.

* * *

 **September 23rd, 1944**

 **England**

"Another job well done, ladies," we were all standing there at attention in front of Captain Matthews as he was looking over each and every one of us after we came back from another mission that he sent us on. It was early into the morning, then was not even up yet, but with me I was still feeling on edge from the recent mission.

This was the first time I was beyond relieved to be away from Easy, to get some air from the boys and all that was going on. The girls were a breath of fresh air for us, all of us were keeping our thoughts and heads on the mission instead of worrying about what others thought of us and our own troubles and woes. I never mentioned Eugene and what happened between the both of us to the girls, not even to Harper or O'Neal. It didn't feel right telling them what append to me and who I was all troubled by it. It was another case of me trying to bury it to the ground and hope it would b e resurface again. Hell, I didn't even read his letter that he gave me through Babe. I didn't know when I would be able to read it, if I had the heart to.

"By now you all are sharing from the other companies that we are getting a reputation amongst them in the army," He explained to us as he was walking in fort of us, back and forth, "Our reputation is becoming more concrete, thank you all of you dedication and hard work within your companies and each other."

"There is talk of us continuing with our work and campaign throughout the rest of war, without or without any Operations for us to go on personally," Captain Josephine then explained to us as she was having her hands behind her back, "If we continue with our success rates in all of our Operations and missions, then there can be a future for us throughout the rest of the war."

I had to sink that in. It wasn't that I was going to expect us to fail at any time with the Operations we were assigned to, but it was still another thing to hear that we were going to be going up and beyond with our work in the army. Were they really considering us as one of the other many companies in the war? Were we worthy enough? it sounded petty to ask that question.

Were we worthy enough?

* * *

 **October 13th, 1944**

 **Shoonderlogt, Holland**

I threw out the blade again, seeing almost hit the same tree once more as I was standing there about a good twenty feet away, practicing once more with the gauntlet and I twisted my wrist, seeing the blade retract back to me and snap back into place with the wrist piece. This was my third time practicing with this weapon, and by this, point I was getting better and better with it, much to my dismay. I knew Captain Josephine and Captain Matthews were wanting me to be perfect at this weapon by the time winter came in Europe, in case it was needed for more missions that we were going to go on.

The boys were all sitting in the barn, eating together as I was practicing with this weapon. It was fine to once again be alone. I know it must have looked a bit bad on my part, how I was willing to have my own alone time instead of being around the rest of the guys, and they could see it too. I think they were getting the hint, as bad as it was, that I was trying to reaffirm myself as an officer there, not their friend.

I hated it.

I heard footsteps behind me as I threw out the gauntlet again, seeing the blade hit the previous mark in a jolt and I kept it there for a moment or two before I retracted the blade and looked behind me to see who it was. Lipton, the sweet centered lieutenant who was good with the boys and great as an officer.

"Hello, Lieutenant Bellerose," He said to me tentatively, then pointing to the gantlet on my wrist, "How is that working out for you?"

"Pretty good as of late, sir," I replied, seeing him shuffled his hands a bit in front of him.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to come in and join the other officers with some tactical strategies for anything coming up, they want to hear your opinion," Lipton explained, having me raise an eyebrow to him now in a bit of surprise.

"Really?" I asked, sounding a bit surprised myself.

"You sound a bit surprised Lieutenant," Lipton voiced to me, seeing the small look of shock there on my face and how I was standing there in a bit of hesitance. Even though I knew I was an officer, I didn't think that the other officers in Easy would want me to join in on their conversation and their talks about the soldiers and what is best for them. They must have seen me as an equal to them, up to a point really.

"I didn't think they would want to hear from me, sir," I admitted to him, seeing a kind smile in return from Lipton. Of course, he would smile, he was hard too fair and kind to be a brutal officer, and that made me respect him even more

"Of course they would want to hear from you, since the boys admire you and how to carry yourself both with Easy and your own unit. Nixon even thinks you can help put some input in." Lipton explained with some hope there both in his eyes and in his tone. It was almost like he was desperate for me to agree and come along, and I had to agree since these were the officers, but not the regular soldiers. So this was not going to hurt me in the end.

"I'll come along," I replied to him, seeing him grin at me and we both walked away from the area, having me snap the gauntlet off my wrist now and hold it within my spare hand. I as thinking that I was trying to look up on the things that were happening in my life, but I was not paying attention to how someone was watching us walk away shoulder to shoulder.

A soldier with a medic arm on his arm and his blue haunting eyes watching me.

* * *

"As of thus far, we are gong to go through more drills to keep the men on their toes and to keep them alert," I was sitting within Winter's new makeshift office of a room, seeing him sitting behind it was a stack full of papers. He was no longer in charge of Easy, another officer named Moose Heyliger was going to be the head officer for Easy.

Winters was the new XO of the 2nd Battalion. working more behind the desk and getting the logistics together for the men instead of him being with the soldiers and his men. I could tell, having me think the others can too, that he was not really liking not being with the men.

"Lt. Norman Dike is holding his own with the men, much to the men's dismay," Welsch voiced to the men as he took a long sip from his wine that he had in his coffee cup. I saw Nixon roll his eyes as he poured some whiskey into his cup from his flask.

"As long as he can handle the men and make sure he can lead them to victory, then we can still hold onto him for the current time that we have" Winters reassured Welsch now as I was sitting next to Welsch and seeing him look over at me and raise an eye.

"Can you convinced your own Captain that you can be transferred over here and run Easy?" Welsch asked in a light manner, Winters shooting him a look.

"Harry!" He said in both shock and in a warning. Harry looked back at him and shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't tell me I'm the only one who's thinking that? We can really user Bellerose over here in Easy since the men give her plenty of respect and they will follow her to the ends of the earth," Harry explained to him as I looked away from Harry and Winters over to Nixon, thinking that he would give me some of the reassurance on the other side of the room. Nixon just shrugged at me, not knowing what else to say about it since I was the new topic of conversation, not Foxhole Norman.

"We're fine with what we have, Harry," Winters reassured Harry, "Bellerose is already a great officer with the men, and she has her own priorities with her own unit."

"How do you feel about Dike, Bellerose?" Nixon asked me out of the blue, seeing that I was a bit lost within the talk they were having when it came to be and where I should be in my leadership. All of their eyes on me, having me feel like I was sitting on a hotplate and I was about to be overheated with the eyes on me. I didn't really want to give my opinion about another officer since it felt like I could say the wrong thing at some moment. Thank you very much, Nixon.

"Lew, did you really have to ask her that?" Winters asked him, somehow seeing the look of puzzlement and the hint of embarrassment there on my face from being in the spotlight in the room.

"Just curious about what she was thinking about is all, Dick. Can't have a normal conversation with another officer?" Nixon asked in a lighter tone as he eye Dick like it was playful banter.

"But you and to ask that question to her?" Harry even asked as I finally spoke up from my spot next to him, thinking that I should just get it over with and get myself out of the conversation as much as humanly possible

"He's a fine officer, sir." The three of them were looking at me now as I answered that question that was hanging in the air, "I think he can still work though a bit of a few things in order to be better."

"See? She said her opinion and no harm done," Nixon replied in a light manner, pointing to me but looking at Winters with a big grin on his face, "At least what she said was a bit nicer than what we are all thinking about him."

"Well, he hasn't done anything yet that would jeopardize him from being one of the officers, so for now, we are going to keep him where he is," Winters ended it then and there, having me sigh in relief before I saw him look over at me and give me a small smile, "Thank you, Bellerose, for your opinion on the officer."

"You're welcome…sir," I said in almost a hesitant manner, seeing him crack a grin at me as he tapped the papers there on top of his desk.

"I asked some of the men in Easy on how they feel about you," He explained, having em eye go wide a little bit and feel like he was going to say a bad thing about me from the men. It's been awhile since I was hanging out with the men and get to know them more. I was trying to be a better officer than a friend, and I would think at this point the men would take the hint and not even want to be near me anymore. What were they going to see me now?

"They do look up to you," I was shocked from what he told me, what the men were thinking of me. Here I was, thinking the opposite and how they would really not like me anymore, but I was really wrong in that way. They were still liking me as an officer and were looking up to me, having me smile but show it in a small manner instead of having it plastered on my face, "You're a good officer for them to look to and to follow after. All I am getting is nothing but praises, even from the medics Spina and Doc are saying good things about you,"

"I'm glad to hear that, sir." I replied, thinking that it was too good to be true to hear it coming from an officer very much respected and look up to. It still shocked me a bit to hear that Doc was still saying good things about me, not that shocking since it was in his nature to never be cruel or unkind to those in his company. No, Doc was not like that at all, not even to me in this current situation when we were not on talking terms, as much as it pained me.

It was kind of nice to know I was leaving some kind of good imprint on the others.

* * *

 **October 31st, 1944**

 **Driel, Holland**

Once again I was on patrol that night, walking along the permitter of the town we were stationed in. The temperature was cooling down, the leaves in the still surviving trees are changing colors of orange and yellow with a hint of brown, and the clouds were rolling in have the rain every once in awhile to cool us off even more. Easy was just going through the motions by that time, jumping from one small town to another in Holland and just going on patrols. They didn't know whether or not it was because they were passing the time, or they had nothing else to do.

Even after my talk with the officers and hearing good praises from them, I was one again walking alone. For some odd reason, walking alone was more of a comfort than anything in that moment. I didn't want to really wallow in my own self-pity, not anymore to be honest. The men still looked up to me, and I had a job to make sure that what they are seeing was the truth about me, nothing different or fabricated.

A gunshot rang out, having me stop in my walk and stay still to find out where it was located. It was only one gunshot, ringing in the quiet night and it was coming near the train tracks in the east. It made me want to run now over in that direction, feeling that something went wrong and someone was hurt since it was a gunshot that sounded more like an accident than on purpose.

It took me a good couple of minutes of running, more like a sprint than anything and I felt like I was getting closer and closer to what was going on. By the time I got there, the ambulance was rolling away now and I saw both Winters and Welsch standing there and looking on.

"Sir!" I said in a huff, the both of them looking behind themselves and over at me. I skidded to a halt now as I caught my breath, "What happened?"

"Accidental shot on Moose while we were on patrol," Winters explained to me, having me look down briefly to see that one of his hands was bloody. It was not looking good in my mind: logically as his hand was red and wet with blood.

"Doc took care of him and got him over to the nearest medical building," I snapped m head over to Harry was he said that to me. I heard CO being mention, how he was the one who was here and I barely missed him by mere seconds, and it made me think that he needed some kind of help with that was about to going on with the injured soldier.

If I was going to try and still be good enough to be around Eugene, this was going to be a start.

* * *

"Where is the medical building?"

"Sir, I need to get him into the building for him to get proper treatment!"

"Not without authorization!"

I hopped out of the jeep and bolted over tot he front of the medical building, a small makeshift building that had a red medical cross out on the front and it was made of brick, some medics going in and out and the ambulance was parked there right out in the front. I saw Eugene there already, talking to Sergeant and the Sergeant was not telling him to get through. It had me worry that something was going to go from and to worse. Eugene and the sergeant were arguing in front of the medical building, and I could tell that was sergeant was not going to give it up without a fight.

"Sir, he needs medical attention," Eugene was really trying to hold back from snapping at the sergeant and he was trying to remain calm.

"He needs to be registered here before we can take him inside, it's new protocol," The sergeant said to Eugene, standing in front of Eugene and was so close to touching him and pushing him away, it was then that I snapped. I jogged over there and I saw the both of them staring each other down and the sergeant looking up at me now with a hint of agitation as I got close enough to shove him off of Eugene.

"Take one more step over to one of my men and I'll have you court-martialed before you can even blink a Goddamn eye," I warned him in a low manner, the Sergeant was at a loss of words now as Eugene looked at me too with a bit of shock there on his face. My focus was on the Sergeant, whom was looking right at me as if I was some kind of challenge for him to overcome there in front of the medical building.

"Who are you?" He asked me in a sinister manner, having em shift and stand right in front of Eugene to block him off and square off the Sergeant with my eyes drilling into him.

"1st Lieutenant Bellerose from Black Mamba Unit and with Easy Company," I saw him shift in an uneasy way when I told him my ranking, seeing my stance there and almost taking one more step over to him to back him off, "I suggest you back off of my medic and let him do his job and then do the paperwork."

"I have to go through the new protocol that we have here, ma'am," He tried to reason with me, less sinister and more on the scared side. I shook my head then.

"If we have a major blood loss on our hands from the inured soldier that is in the ambulance and he has a long term injury, I will personally blame you for not having a medic do his duty, understand?" It was like I was placing a knife to his throat and he had to think of a way to get himself out of the stain. I saw his eyes go wide then, the tone in my voice and in how I was standing there in such an authority like manner made him almost shit his pants right then and there. No one said a single word, having what I said hanging there between myself and the now petrified sergeant.

"Yes, ma'am," He replied finally, moving out of the way and back into the building before he could look at me even more in the eye. I was standing to see him walk away, finally taking a breath and stepping down from my officer tone of voice now, thinking I was back to being normal again and I looked behind me to see Eugene.

His eyes were far too wide, looking at me in almost a new light and as if he dint know else to do with me. I was worried then to think of what he was going to say to me from what he saw moments earlier. Did he see me now as an officer and not a friend? Did I ruin whatever he had left with one another? But he took in a slow breath now and I rubbed the back of my neck there in hesitance.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," He thanked me, having me miss on how he accent sounded when we would talk to one another. I gave him a small smile.

"Of course, Corporal," I replied, about to move away from him when he finally took a step over to me and having me see that he was genuine with what he was about to say.

"Really, thank you, Olive." When he used the name, the heavenly way it sounded off his lips, it made me realize that we were back on a good basis with one another. It was fine again within our own friendship. I made me feel a bit better about it, a weight was no longer there against my brain and my hands. All was well once again within my own mind.

"Of course, Eugene."


	15. Chapter 15

**December, 1944**

 **Mourmelon -le-Grand, France**

"You're granting me leave?" I was a bit shocked to hear it myself since I've been one and off the grid with Easy since October, still going on missions here and there with Black Mamba. Now that December was here and the cold was booming something fierce, less mission were coming my way and I was spending more time with the boys. I would help with training and keeping the moral up, along with the other officers who were trying to keep them occupied since most of the time we were just being shuffled around. That day I was sitting there, looking over my typical telegram from Captain Matthews and how he once again told me that there was no mission for Black Mamba. It was getting me more on the edge of my seat, a little more paranoid than most other times.

"All of the officers are getting leave," Lipton explained as he handed me the papers, having me grab them carefully from his hands and then scan with my eyes to see if it was true. It seemed like a typical army typed paper, the US seal on the top and it was all there for me to drink in. He was right: I was on leave

"It's only 48 hours, but enough for us to get away and recharge," Lipton explained some more when I looked back at him.

"What about the others in Easy?" I asked.

"They're getting theirs later, some of them sooner than others," He answered, "You get yours the day after tomorrow." I should be happy to get a break, to step out of my Lieutenant shoes and my Black Mamba state of mind. Being able to wake up in the morning without a routine ingrained on my brain, no more constant drills and training rounds for me to give to the men, and no more long office meetings.

At least for 48 hours.

"Where are they send you?" Lipton asked in curiosity as I was still thinking to myself about all the things I was going to be free from for a short period of time, having me look back at the paper in my hand and a small smile on my lips along with a look of shock was evident in me.

"Paris. They're sending me to Paris."

* * *

 **Paris, France**

 **December 1944**

It was all I thought it would be and more than I ever thought possible. I was surrounded like people, actual people who were not part of the army. Although I could see other soldiers on leave, in their own travel clothes and they were exploring the city as much as I was. It was still such a different place, a different feel than what I was used to for the past 2 years.

For one, I saw plenty of new colors.

The first morning was different shades of orange and yellows as the sun peeked over the buildings and the Eiffel Tower, and I was watching it in awe as I went on my morning walk. That morning instantly made me really wish I lived here, far away from home where my family was. I still advent' talked to them since they disowned me, and I doubted they would want to talk to me again. For some reason, walking amongst the French people and on the cobbled streets, I thought of them and how they were doing with their own lives. Did they ever think of me and my well being? Was I even a tough in their day to day activities? It made me sad, and yet I was not supposed to feel that way when I was on leave, free to do whatever I pleased.

What was there to do?

For one, I got to wear civilian clothes for one. I only had a few things to wear, but I figured that I would get my own hands on a dress and wear that out and about. I got my hands on a light blue dress and wore a precepts over it, stockings and heels and got to let my hair down for the first time in a long time. I had my morning consist of grabbing a small breakfast at the lobby of the hotel where I was staying, then roaming around for a few hours to take in the sights.

Later on the day, after having an early lunch at a local cafe, I decided to walk around some more and look at the local shops there were. I was beyond thankful that I spoke the language there, making it easier for me to talk to the locals and the shop owners about certain things that caught my eye. I was never one for shopping and spending money, that was my sister's strength. I would observe more, look at people from afar and see their own lives and sometimes wish I could live in that kind of life too. There were couples left and right, some of them old and well within their marriages, others young and still naive with their own love for one another. But either way, as I gazed at them from a distance and watched as they would kiss or hold one another, I would envy them.

Really envy them.

At one point I was looking at a florist shop, seeing all of the different shades of yellow and red roses there in the window when I heard a familiar voice behind me, having me go into shock as to how they could be there at the same time.

"Olivia?" I stopped what I was doing and looked behind me, seeing Eugene Roe look right at me with a smile big on his lips. He was about fifty feet away from me, hands in his pockets as he was wearing civilian clothes as well: a jacket over a dress shirt, brown slacks, and shoes. He looked pretty normal there, no longer looking like a medic with the red armband there on his arm, but I was still seeing him as someone who was handsome.

"Eugene." I said in a grin to him as he finally walked over and we both hugged there in front of the flowers. He still smelled like himself, a hint of pine and some soap that must have been when he took a bath that morning. It was almost intoxicating for me to breathe in as he pulled away from me and he looked at me up and down.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him in surprise since it felt too surreal that he was here, in Paris, right in front of me.

"I'm on leave too, I got on leave this morning and I got off the train about an hour or two ago" he explained and he grinned at me, "You don't look the same." I knew he didn't mean to say it in such a bad way, but I instantly looked down at my dress and how it looked there. I automatically thought there was something wrong, or something on my dress. But Eugene chuckled, grabbed my arm there to get me to look back at him again.

"I'm just used to see you in a uniform," He admitted, having me almost feel like I could brush in front of him. Technically I was still a Lieutenant, someone who was an officer and should really not feel like this to someone else who was lower than me in the army. But within that moment, when he said that to me, I didn't feel like either one of us were in the army. We were two regular people there, meeting in the most romantic city in the world. God, it was like destiny was throwing up all over my face and I was trying to deny it.

"I think you looked lovely," He said to me now in a sheepish tone, almost like he was afraid to say it since he was wondering how I was going to react to that sentence. But I just felt like a giddy young woman all over again, no longer an officer or a Special operations soldier. A young woman, nothing more or less.

"Thank you, Eugene," I said back to him, trying to make it sound so casual and not like I was a nervous wreck. I wanted to tell him that he looked handsome, I really did but nothing came out of my voice then as Eugene looked over his shoulder at the Seine river that was next to us.

"You wanna walk around a bit? I wanna go see the Eiffel Tower," he said to me in a suggestion, having me nod my head at him. It would be nice to go through this leave with another friend, not by myself. Who better to explore the city than with Eugene, someone whom I held close and dear to my heart.

"Sure."

* * *

That night we grabbed dinner together at a small restaurant called _Au redenz-vous des camioneurs_. It was a small enough place for us to find a table that night, tucked away in the corner and only a couple of other people in there chatting away and eating their food. The light were dimmed down, being such a romantic kind of place in the city of romance and love. After we toured a bit more of the sights in the city, we both were getting rather hungry and we decided to grab something to eat before I was going to turn in for the night.

" _Mercí_ ," I said to the waiter as he handed us the menus and we both were reading them in silence for a moment. Our table was small enough for the both of us to try and maneuver our legs to be under and not make it awkward. Eugene was looking with his own curious eyes as I was peeking over at him once or twice, seeing how the light was hitting his face and making him look more illuminated than before. It was almost beautiful.

"Thank God I know at least a few things in this menu," I said to him now as he looked up at me with a curious eye.

"You too?" He asked, having me grin at him as he pointed to the menu, "I know the language, but I don't know what some of them really mean."

"Well, it must be good if we're in Paris," I commented, seeing him nod in agreement as he looked at his menu once more. I thought back to a certain memory back to when I was very small, still trying t learn the ropes of being a girl in society. My mother, at one time, took me out to a restaurant to have me learn proper etiquette and how to act like a lady. But I made the fatal mistake of closing my eyes and pointing to something on the menu without even knowing what it was, claiming that I wanted that. My poor mother, she was not pleased with me and swore not to take me out again until I was old enough to make the right decision. I wanted to do that again with Eugene, as silly as it seemed.

I closed my eyes and pointed my spare finger, moving my finger up and down on the menu and hearing a chuckle from Eugene.

"What are you doin'?" He asked me as I did this for another moment or two before I landed my finger on the menu, opening my eye and seeing the item that I had my finger pressed to and I grinned.

"I used to do this when I was little," I explained, seeing Eugene look at me in confusion as I explained, "If I don't know what is on the menu, I just close my eyes and take a chance, ordering whatever I land my finger on." Eugene then cracked a smile there from hearing with I told him, having me tilt my head at him now as I could hear a piano being playing in the background from one of the musicians there in the room.

"You should try it." I suggested and I was seeing him chuckle nervously at me and shake his head from the thought, "Oh come on, you don't half the things there on the menu any who. Eugene, you've got to live a little." He eyed me then slowly looking down at the menu from what I told him and then I saw him close his eyes. I was grinning from what I was seeing there, watching the huge hesitance there on his face as he was moving his own finger up and down and around the menu like he was worried that he was doing it front. He then planted his finger there, on the upper part of the menu and he squinted one eye open to see where he landed.

"There you go," I urged him seeing Eugene smile as he watched me then, almost making me feel those butterflies again from seeing Eugene do such a simple yet cute action.

It made the dinner much better in my opinion.

* * *

"Ever been on the bayou?" Eugene asked me as we were talking with one another, another act of small talk that were using on each other long after we ate our delicious food and had a bottle of wine to share.

"Never been," I replied to him as I leaned back a bit in my chair, "I've always wanted to, but my mother would never allow it. I've heard from her plenty of times that it's not a place or someone like her or like me, but it still intrigued me," I paused, taking a small sip of my wine from my glass before I went on, "I think I was drawn to going to places or doing things that my mother would restrict on me." He analyzed me from the other side of the table with the soft music being heard and the chattering of the people within the small restaurant.

"So, are you going to go home to your family after the war is over?" Eugene asked me tentatively, having me think to myself a bit. I thought about it constantly, going back to the very family that took me out of their will because they were not liking what I was doing in the war, amongst other things.

"I don't think so," I said to him in a calmer state, seeing him tilt his head at me as I went on, "I mean, I don't think they would want me back, even if I came home with the recognition that any soldier would want after being in a war and surviving,"

"What will you do then, if you're not going to go back home? What would you do?" Eugene asked me then in more curiosity, having me take another sip from my wine as he did the same, almost mirroring me then.

"Maybe I'll finally get to do the things I've always wanted to do," I answered, seeing him slowly smile back at me and having em chuckle then, "I'll go to the Bayou, go out there on a big ol' boat and see the trees and catch a firefly or two." I could hear him laughing, a soft laugh from what I told him and it made me chuckle too, "Seriously, and then I can go to a pub and have a real drink."

"A real drink?" He asked me.

"Not a glass of water or champagne. I can't stand the stuff any who. Maybe I'll have my own bottle of wine, or even a beer if I wanted to." I voiced between the both of us.

"Never took you as a beer drinker," He commented.

"Why? Do you drink?" I asked him in wonder how as he tapped his fingers on the top of the table now either out of habit or just jitters. It was like I was drilling him to find out more about him and he felt like he was in hot water, talking about this with me of all people.

"On occasion. I would grab a drink one or twice with the guys at my old job, but nothing too bad." He replied, having me grin at him from how he said it like it was such a bad thing. It sounded like how my mother would talk to the others in the room when I was there, back in New Orleans, and how she would try and explained what happened to me and what she was blaming the incident on. Just the subject of drinking instantly brought down my bubbly mood, thinking back so many years ago and what drove me out of that house.

 _"It was the drinking, you know?" She asked her friend as they were sitting in the parlor out near the kitchen while I was sitting there at the table and looking out at the window and grabbing the small handkerchief that had ice on top of it. I grabbed the corners, making a small ice pack and placing it over my eye as my mother went on, "Men cannot hold their liquor and Elliot just couldn't do it that night. It was such an innocent mistake."_

 _"How's Olivia taking it?" Her friend asked in curiosity as I looked at the bruises along my wrists and upper arm, the bruises that looked like Elliot's hand._

 _"She's doing just fine with it. I had to talk her jumpin' off a damn cliff if you wanna know the truth. The poor girl, shaken up like a leaf and she doesn't want to talk to the poor boy." My mother explained in a nonchalant manner, having me close my eyes in hate and defeat, "She'll come around. I'm sure she will. Elliot just needs to take care of a few things with himself and he'll be back to normal before we know it."_

"Olivia?" Eugene called out of me, having me realize that I was dozing out and looking at the table in front of us, not saying a word or two before I looked back at him, a somber look on my face as I placed my hands folded together on top of the table. I didn't want to think of Elliot, to think of him in front of Eugene, it wasn't fair. I hated it, how I would instantly be afraid and ashamed of a past incident and it would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Remember how I told you about Elliot?" I asked him in a very fragile way, seeing him nod his head slowly as I clutched my fingers together, "I reason I left him was because of the drinking. What he did to me made me leave my house." Eugene looked hurt from what I told him, and I felt worse for bringing that up in our pleasant conversation. He knew about Elliot, I told him about it once when we were training in England and he knew the small glimpse of it. But I still never dove into the gory details with Eugene about what really happened and tipped me over the edge, how it was hurt and almost felt like a betrayal.

"Let's talk about something else," Eugene said to me out of the blue, reaching over to grab my hands there and place his own hand on top, having me look right at him and see the small ounce of hope he had there. He wanted this to be a good night, not a bad one that made me sad. Eugene knew how to comfort, and he was damn good at it. I smiled, nodded my head in agreement I could feel the blush there on my cheeks from how he was holding my hands there between us on top of the table. He grinned at me, the small grin that was both uplifting and heartwarming at the same time.

So we talked for the next hour well into the night, and it was one of my favorite nights of my life.

* * *

That next morning I woke up to the sun streaming on my face, warmth on my skin from the sun rays, and last night playing in my head. How we talked for what felt like hours, how we walked down the cobbled streets late into the night when he walked me back to my hotel, and how he said "Goodnight" to me.

Why was I thinking it was a fairytale?

This was both bothering me and making me bothered. A part of me wanted to make him more than a friend, and I thought he was thinking the same thing. But the other part, the rationale part, was telling me that it would be the worst decision I would ever make. We were in the army, our lives were signed away, and if this were to evolve into something more than a friendship than we both would be in far too much trouble than what it would be worth. I didn't want that for him, he didn't deserve that at all.

What was I going to do?

I had to push it away from my head for the day since Eugene and I was going to meet up again and explore the city some more together since it was our last day there before we were going to be sent back to the line. I wanted that day to be a good one, not an awkward one between us.

Fat Chance.

* * *

"Wow," Eugene said next to em as were both looking up at the infamous chapel, the one that stood out in front of the both of us we were stumbled on it late in the afternoon. It was huge, tall info ton of us with history beyond years that we could comprehend.

The Sainte-Chapelle

"It's beautiful," I said in a gasp as we were looking so small compared to it. I was used to the small chapels that were scattered around Louisiana, even the medium sized one that was in Aldbourne. But this, it was a beautify chapel that was more like a cathedral. I could see the big circular stained glass window in front of me, the sun shining into it and having me wonder what it looked like on the inside with the colors and the structure.

For some reason it made me want to take his hand in mine, slipping our fingers together and feeling him hold my hand back without an explanation. It was a peaceful moment, having me forget about the war around us and that people were dying left and right. WE were in our own world again from seeing this beautiful structure. it made me wonder, really wonder.

What was inside.

"Come on," I urged, pulling Eugene along as we both started walking over to the side door that was there nearest to us. I didn't know if Eugene was petrified or not, but we weaved our way through the crowd and tried to stay together. I had the urge to explore the place, to see how it looked from the inside with the sun, and how beautiful it have to have been.

"Olive," Eugene tried to talk to me, but once I reached the door, which was open, I poked my head inside and saw a few people there, already looking at the place itself or pray there amongst the pews. it was soft and quiet, the high arched windows and ceilings were tall enough to make me think they were reaching to heaven with the carvings in the stone and the colors from the stained glass windows. Eugene went silent as we both looked, too stunned to say a word between each other and not wanting to break the peace that was inside.

It was breathtaking.

People were praying, eyes closed and hands folded which made me not want to make a single noise at all, but I had to think that there was more to this place than just this one room. I wanted to explore some more, and we sneaked our way through the smaller prayer room and into a corridor when Eugene broke his silence.

"Are you insane? We could get in trouble!" He hissed at me in his low tone and having me hear it bounce off the stone walls.

"Come on, Eugene. I just wanna see a bit more is all," I urged him as I opened another thick wooden door, hearing it creak and feeling bad that it was making a lot of noise. Once I poked my head in, seeing that there was no one else around, I grinned.

It was deserted.

It was beyond more beautiful than the first small prayer room that we saw: the colors on the wall that were painted there, the high ceilings and the sloped arches that were carved, the detail in every section that I looked at. The most beautiful thing that I saw was the stained glass windows with the pictures within those frames. It brought light into the room with purples and a rose tint which made me release Eugene's hand since I was finding myself walking down the middle aisle and looking at each of the windows in awe.

"You know why they made the stained glass windows the way they did?" I asked Eugene out of the blue, my voice ringing in the sacred place as I was up near the front where there was a small opening and the pews ended. I was still looking at each stained glass window there, seeing the faces and the colors within those frames.

"Not really," Eugene confessed.

"Back in the 1200's and the 1300's, people couldn't read at all. Most of the population was illiterate," I explained as I turned around slowly to see more around me, not even realizing that I was doing a small turn like a ballerina would, "They wanted to hear the Gospel, but they couldn't read it at all. So the Church decided to place these pictures up, to tell the story without using words, so that everyone would be able to understand the Gospel and be saved." I was thinking back then to when I would dance, how it felt like to have that center of peace within me again and nothing from the outside world was touching me and making me feel small or incigificant. I felt in that chapel, how it was nice and quiet with the colors touching my skin and making me think that God was there. He was protecting me, showing me His constant strength that He was placing in me.

For some silly reason, it made me want to dance.

I reached down and took off my heels to be barefooted there on the cold stone floor, not thinking of anything else but dancing and how it felt right to do it there. I forgot about how Eugene was in the same room, but I closed my eyes and I moved my arms and swayed with my own music in my head. Clair De Lune, I loved that song and dancing to it, making me miss my childhood and how innocent it was for me. I wasn't innocent anymore, not even close, but it felt close enough to me when I danced there in the chapel, spinning and feeling my dress move with me.

I wanted to let it all go: The fear of not being a good enough leader for Black Mamba, the fear of my past with Elliot, the fear of disownment with my family, my own shame and murdering streak. It had to be released, and for me to dance was the only way I thought it would be possible in the healthiest of manners. It brought me stability and sanity, it brought me happiness and joy, and most of all.

It brought me peace.

I didn't hear him walking up behind me, slowly and carefully, nor did I realize how close he was when I stopped my dancing and smiled in relief. It was when he placed one hand on my arm and the other on my cheek, leaning in and pressing his lips to mine that I did notice. He kissed me there, a simple and soft kiss that was the closest thing to heaven that I have felt in years and years.

It was a perfect kiss.

I thought of the peach, white and red roses in my front yard that my mother would prune and pick to place in the vases around the house, the scent they carried when I walked from room to room and how it filled my soul. I thought of willow tree in the backyard that swayed with the wind in the summer and how I would sit underneath it and read books on hours on end. I thought of my bed, how cool and comforting it was for me to dream in. All of those things filled my head when he kissed me there, that one kiss was all that ever wanted in a first kiss, more than what I wanted.

He pulled away from me, looking right at me to see if I was still alive from what happened. I was too stunned for a moment or two of words, reeling in my head that kiss and how it was all shifting within me. He wanted this, I felt it in that kiss that he wanted something between us. How could it be a lie from how we kissed? He was watching me for my reaction, having me slowly smile at him before I asked him one simple phrase.

" _Qu'est-ce qui t'a pris autant de temps_?" (What took you so long?) I whispered it to him in almost a warm kind of tone. He scanned my eyes before he gave me that soft smile that I fell in love with.

I kissed him with back without hesitation.


	16. Chapter 16

**Bastogne, Belgium**

There was a specific reason that I was born and bred for the Louisiana heat, but this cold was not one of those reasons.

This wasn't even cold, there had to be another word for it since it was colder than cold. The European winter seemed like hell froze over compared to the winters I was used to in the South, which only consisted of rain and the small case of cold. But that looked like the heat wave compared to this place, and it made me wonder how anything this cold did exist in the world.

Cold and bitter.

We were deep within Belgium, high amongst the trees of the forests there since the American Army was sending more and more troops along the lines to protect it from the Germans. It was wearing thin, the line between us and them, and we were going to help out in any way we could. Black Mamba was called to be out there on the line, to look at it from a distance and not be seen, to report anything that would be fishy, and to take out anyone that we knew would break that line.

Meaning, we were the muscle now in the line.

Being in the cold and going from point A to point B really made me think back to when I was in Paris. The warmth of the sun on my skin, the colors I saw everywhere in the flowers and the windows, seeing the sea of faces that were warm and kind. This was different, all I was saw the white of the snow and the gray that was seeping into the hearts of those around me, the cold against my skin that was making me want to scream. Worst of all, I thought of Eugene.

I thought of our kiss.

It wasn't a bad thing to think about, I liked it. I would dream about it every night since we kissed. It was a simple one, nothing too fancy or movie worthy. But it once again placed me in an awkward kind of way now, thinking that I cross some kind of line when we kissed there. I was a Lieutenant, he was a Combat Medic. We were there for different yet common reasons, to set our country and get home in one piece. If the others found out about this, then I would be sent home then packing with a feeling shame across my heart. Was Eugene thinking that same thing? Did he think it was some kind of Mistake? I tried to tell myself that it was that, a mistake, but my heart was telling me something else.

Telling me it was all that I wanted.

I walked amongst the trees of Belgium, the bandana once again over my face and having me only see with my eyes and hear what couldn't be heard. We were sprawled out amongst the snow, moving in one small wave of black there and staying close to trees to not be seen. Captain Josephine was leading the walk and the patrol, I was walking on her left side and keeping my eyes on the terrain ahead. I was once again hearing nothing now as my mind was still better tottering back and forth between Eugene and myself. I hated how complicated it was in my own head, how it might be way too out of proportion now as I was trying to get made in my lieutenant mode again.

Captain Josephine held up her hand in a fist, a signal for us to stop since she might have seen something there. We all stopped, the group of us spanning out to a good 100 feet across in our own line as we were looking too to see what she saw. I could only see the falling of snow, the gray and white mass of the winter in front of us. I couldn't see anything, but I had to trust my Captain in what she was doing.

She then gave one whistle, all of us right then throwing our gun straps over our heads and shoulders and going over to the trees closest to us. I got out the claws that I would use, putting them in my hands and then starting my climb there against the tree. Captain Josephine stayed there on the ground, aiming her rifle right in front of her and looking through the scope at whatever was coming up ahead of us. I made it to the branch that I wanted to get to, balancing there on my boots and then getting the claws back in my pocket. Once I got situated with my rifle there within my hands and I looked through the scope again to see if I was going to find what she saw.

So far, we were in the clear, but then again I knew Josephine was trying to make sure that she was seeing what she wanted to see, and that she was not going to make a wrong decision. I was staying close to the tree I was perched in, looking at her with huge eyes and analyzing it all myself really. I could see it then, at least some of it then. Black figures, moving towards us in silence and almost in unison. This is what we all knew was coming.

Germans.

Captain Josephine stayed perfectly still, not moving a bit and keeping her rifle up and loaded. It made me worry a bit if they had a sniper there looking right at her and maybe they were going to shoot at her in return. I wanted to be ready for anything, to make sure they weren't going to touch her at all with one shot of a bullet. They were getting closer to us, none of us making a move like we were waiting for something to go off and spring everything into motion. I could see more of the black mass that was coming, more faces that were still dark enough underneath the helmets but clear enough to have me witness the cold on their faces and in their walk.

All we had to do, was what for the signal.

Captain Josephine was very still now, but I then saw her click in her bullet. Our signal. We started to spread out some more, moving from our spots and spreading out into a circular formation. I was the one who stayed behind, being the backup for Captain Josephine as the others in Black Mamba were running across the branches of the trees and making sure that they were high enough to not be seen. It was part of our new trap; get them from above before the could even blink. I didn't want to leave Captain Josephine behind since she was by herself, and I stayed still with my own fingers swapped around my gun and the hovering going up and down my spine from the cold. I wanted to move, my body was aching for it since I was staying so still for so long up there in the cold, but I had to train myself to be still. Like the plenty of times that I would have to be frozen in one position and not move or else, I would be in trouble. Those lessons made me remember, and I had to do the same now.

They were walking closer and closer, finally getting closer enough for them to notice Captain Josephine. They froze, having me shift a bit there on the branch and then hearing them talk to each other as to what they were seeing. Captain Josephine was not moving one muscle in her body, and I was starting to count in my head. It was a slow count, but I knew if I was going to hit a certain number, we were going to shoot and then take them over. But I still had to count, not jump the gun but count.

1….2….3….4….

She took the shot.

"Now!" She bellowed, and the bullets were flying now before they were able to blink from their spots. I started shooting myself, taking out at least two of them as the rest of Black Mamba was taking out the rest of them down. They were trying to shot out and get themselves on the defense, yet we were the ones with the upper hand and we were annihilating them within seconds. Before we knew it, it was all over and nothing was heard again in the forest except for the echoes of the bullets and the last breaths of the Germans. The snow was stained with red blood, the pureness of the forest was now dirty with bodies and death.

It was going to be my life for now on: the thought and the concept of death.

* * *

"I'll notify Matthews and make sure he knows that we took out this company," Captain Josephine explained to us as we were talking together in the snow, huddled together for warmth in the attire that they gave us as leftovers from the men who were in the forests as well. I was feeling the cold all over my body, piercing knives hitting my skin and making it seem like breathing was harder and harder for me as I tried to.

"This isn't going to be easy for us to get back to our ranks and battalions," O'Neal explained to her from her own spot and having me see the puff of her warm air hitting the cold air. She was almost looking blue herself along her skin and near her fingers there as they were clutching her jacket in a death grip.

"For right now, we are the only main line of defense for those who are here in the forest. The thin line is what we have to look after and defend, and until we hear back from Matthews or someone else from a higher authority, we are stuck here." Captain Josephine informed us, having me look at each of the women there in the circle, watching their hopes almost start to fall in their eyes. This meant that we couldn't go home, or at least go somewhere warmer. We were losing contact with others, and they couldn't get back to their own companies that they were assigned to, we were the literal last defense for those who were in the Belgium forest. It was painful for me to see it in their faces, to see it behind her eyes and to almost feel it within the circle there. How could I even help to keep their moral high when it felt like they were shot down low there within the snow?

"We can handle it," I said into the circle thinking that it was the only thing that I could say in that moment. They all looked to me, seeing me try to smile there for all of them to feel what I was trying to feel. It was going to be hard, very hard since we have never felt this out of place before, feeling isolated and not even close to being normal again. How were we going to get out go of this kind of situation?

What were we going to do?

"So, What's going with you and Eugene?" Harper asked me as we were walking through the woods, the rest of the company was spread out along the same lien we created again as we were making our way back over to the main line that Easy Company was taking care of. We were going over to Easy to both relieve them from the line for a few hours or so and to give them whatever care that they needed. I shot Harper a look now as she was looking dead ahead and was not even joking close as to breaking character.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her in a confused manner, seeing her chuckle now as she looked over at me and gave me a chuckle there on her lips and a grin there.

"Oh come on, you want me to be honest?" she asked me in a lighter tone, "You two are pretty close for friends, at least that's what it looks like to me. What happened with you two while you were in Paris?"

"Since when did you know we both were in Paris?"

"Since I talked to George Luz the other day when you are off doing your regular meeting with Josephine," She replied smoothly and having me look at her in shock, "I bribed him a couple of cigarettes for what hew knew about the two of you, since parentally you never tell me anything."

"And I wonder why?" I asked her in a mocked kind of manner, watching her roll her eyes now while we were still trekking along the white snow there on the floor, I felt the small twinge of a blush there on my cheeks from how she was talking about it and how it mad me remember the time we were in Paris, Eugene and I and we were just….people. We didn't have ties and nothing that was holding us back. Those few hours wit him was more enjoyable than anything in the past few years

"You can be honest with me, Lieutenant," Harper tried to reason with a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders, "I'm not the only one who thinks you two are adorable together."

"There is nothing between Medic Roe and myself, thank you very much," I explained in a short manner, wanting to squash the conversation before it could be worse than what it was, or what it was appearing to me.

"Oh please, like Captain Josephine knows. I doubt anyone from Easy is going to care anyhow," She said to me, going on with the dream in her head that both Eugene and I were together. It made me want to give her a snarky remark to just keep her quiet from the others to hear that were walking nearby. This was the one thing that I feared would happen: a scandal happening in the army and my reputation being tainted.

"Like I said, nothing is happening," I said to her again as we kept walking and she said nothing for a moment or two, the snow softly falling on our hands and shoulders. The more I was going to say it, the more it was going to be real within my own mind. I wanted to think more about it, but the cold was once again getting to me and I had to concentrate on just breathing again.

This was going to be a journey for certain.

* * *

"How are we doing on the line?" I was talking with Winters and Nixon now in their own makeshift office that they made from a rather large foxhole. After I had my talk and walk with the Black Mamba crew, I made it back to Easy and I could see nothing really too big was happening with them. It was another day in the forest for them, all was at peace, at least for now since I knew at any moment they could be bombarded with grenades and artillery fire from the enemy. All they had to do was holding the line where they were, and yet some days it felt like it was just too impossible.

"Still holding it from our positions, but our supplies are running too low. Some of the men don't even have jackets to get them through the night," Winters explained to me, already wrapped in his own blanket there and Nixon sitting next to him. I was shuffled in my own jacket, huddling it closer together within my chest since I could tell the foxhole I was in was a bit warmer. but only slightly.

"Do we know when we will get some supplies for the men?" I asked him, seeing him shake his head.

"Not yet. so we're just going to have to wait and hold the line the best we can," He answered, having me nod my head in agreement.

"Black Mamba will help hold the line as much as we can, give your men some time to rest," I explained to him, folding my hands in front of me now as both Nixon and Winters were giving me almost shocked looks, "The other in my unit have no real way of getting back to their assigned companies."

"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Nixon asked me with hesitance there written all over his face. I would be hesitant too, seeing another battalion pick up the pieces that were still scattered around a bit, and now they were just letting it go and out of their own hands. I took in my own shaky breath, the cold hitting my lungs town times harder now.

"We're called to serve those battalions in need, sir," I explained to him simply, hearing nothing more or less from the other two in the foxhole. I knew that these next few days were going be beyond hard, pushing us to our limits and all we could do was try. Try to be the best unit that we could be to both prove to ourselves and to those around us that we were capable of being in the war. It was a constant battle within ourselves, to convince our own selves that we were supposed to be there and we were in the right place at the right time.

We were going to serve, come hell or high water.

* * *

I walked through the area, amongst the tall trees and I kept my rifle in front of me, holding it carefully there and seeing nothing moving around within my eyesight. Once again, I was surrounded by white snow that was painting the earth white and calm. I didn't like the calm since at any moment something could happen and take all the calm and peace that we were having away. But I pressed on, walking by foxhole after foxhole and seeing the men in their own foxholes.

I could only hear the murmurs and the distant conversations of some of them, and every once in awhile they were poking their heads up at me to see me walking past them. O'Neal was on the other side of the area doing her own patrol and keeping her eyes on the horizon. She and I locked eyes with one another, giving each other a nod before we continue on our own walks.

"How long are ya gonna be walking around out there, Bellerose?" I looked over to my right to see Malarky, Muck, and Penkala sitting together in one foxhole, watching me with their ghost faces and their arms wrapped around their bodies to keep in their own warmth. From the warm faces that I saw him when I first met them some times ago, it was now taken over by the season look of war. But who could blame them?

"Until nightfall, then the second party is gonna patrol," I replied to the question.

"You've been walking around for nearly 4 hours now, don't you wanna rest?" Muck asked with hope there in his eyes as he watched me.

"That's your job, to rest," I reassured them all, but I was seeing that they were not convinced about it at all, "I'm fine, really."

"You don't look fine. You look more like a popsicle than anything," Malarky said to me in a concerned manner as he rearranged himself in his foxhole and having me see the puff of smoke coming out of his nose, "At least sit down for 10 minutes."

"I'll sit down in a bit, trust me," I said back to him calmly, seeing him watching me for another moment or two before I heard someone walking closely to me, making me snap my head over to see who it was. It was none other than Eugene, standing there in the middle of the snow there with his fingers wrapped around the straps to his satchel and his eyes right on me, looking at me with a hint of shock there from seeing her. I wasn't able to see him since I arrived at the camp since I was whisked away to talking to Winters and Nixon and then going on my patrol. He must have been somewhere else and I walked over to him slowly. Just seeing his face there tinted in the cold snow and some stubble there along his skin and how jet black his hair looked compared to the snow, it made my stomach flip. Literally, flip, and it was Paris all over again.

"Eugene," I said to him in almost a choked manner, not thinking about the others that might be watching our interaction right there in the forest. I was just focused on Eugene and how he was looking there in the forest. He looked a bit worse than the others with bags under his eyes, dark circles that were the evidence of his constant duties. But he also looked hollow, run dry, as if he had no sense of sleep or rest. From all that was going on here on the line, he had no time at all since he was trying to mend and heal so many soldiers, as many as he can get his hands on.

Oh, Eugene.

"Bellerose." He said, having me wonder at first hey he would say my last name and not my first name like he would usually do. But then again, we weren't alone, others were walking to and fro in the area and others were watching us from the corner of their eyes. We did have that sense of privacy like we did before, not longer having that luxury. We were exposed now, and this was not the time for us to be personal. Did he want to be personal with me? What in the hell was I thinking?

"I didn't see you when I came in…" I said to him, not thinking of anything else to say to him, seeing him nod and clutch his satchel closer to his body, almost like a reflex.

"I was on a supply run on the other side of the camp," He replied to me simply, having me nod and hear a snort behind me from the foxhole where Malarky, Muck, and Penkala were.

"You can cut the tension with a fuckin' knife," Penkala said under his breath, having me want to give him sharp look as Eugene spoke up again.

"You wanna take a walk with me?" He asked me, almost sounding a bit hopeful on his end. The way he looked at me, his eyes pouring into my own like he was yearning for something that he desperately needed, and how he took a step towards me when he said that, made me confused as to what he wanted to talk about. Paris? The War?

Us?

* * *

"How are you handling the cold?" Eugene asked me in a shiver as we were standing closer together away from the others, out of ear shot and eye shot too, not enough to make us completely private with each other but enough for the others not to see our faces. We walked out there as soon as I said yes, the both of us almost wanting to jog out there and start the conversation that we both desperately wanted to have. I was standing in front of him, blocking my view from the rest of Easy Company and Eugene was having his view of them in case something were to happen.

"I'm not used to it," I replied, seeing him shiver a bit and shuffle within his own boots.

"If it was this cold in Louisiana, then we would be in deep trouble," He commented, having me give him a stiff laugh because of my own shiver. He grinned at it, wearing my laugh.

"I can't believe I'm saying it, but I miss the heat right about now," I added, seeing him smile a bit then but still looking so serious as he usually does.

"I don't," He replied, having me now raise an eyebrow at him now.

"Really?" he paused when I asked that, seeing how I was looking at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe a little," I smiled softly at Eugene at how he made it sound so innocent and kind at the same time. I shuffled a bit in the snow with my strap on my shoulder and the wind hitting me across the face a bit, having me think that my lips were about to go blue. Eugene, this time, spoke up again, and I watched him intently for what he was about to say to me.

"I wanted to talk to you about Paris," He said to me, almost timidly like he was treading on dangerous waters with what he was about to say to me, yet I wasn't moving an inch or two as he went on with what was going on in his head, "I wanted you to know, even know it was not my place to do that to you since you're an officer and I'm not.."

"Eugene…" I said, trying to not make it worse than it was about to be with him, but he kept going.

"Do you regret doing that, with me?" He asked like he pulled the grenade pin over the both of us and it was my answer that was going to set it all off. What did he want to hear from that? Did he want me to say yes and that we shouldn't think about it ever again? Or should I say I didn't regret it at all, not then placing both of our necks and places in the army on the line? This was tricky either way, but now Eugene was leaving it up to me whether or not I wanted that kiss him there in that church.

"I don't regret any part of that," I replied smoothly back to him since the soothing sounds of the trees in the blistery cold were enough to me to almost whisper for a moment or two to him. I was letting out the gates of my feelings. He watched me, his own bright eyes the darkness were haunting and almost scaring me since he wasn't saying anything for a moment or two now. It was making the cold around us even colder then since I was waiting within the second.

What was he going to say?

"Me neither." He replied smoothly with his thick accent and slowly, the both o fuss stared at each other with wide grins on our faces. It was the small feeling of innocence there between us andI felt like Iw as getting warmer and warmer by the second, WE both were fine with what happened, and it was a sigh of relief on my shoulders and within my own chest. But it only lasted for a few seconds, when reality came in within my own mind.

"What are we going to do?" I asked him, seeing him think about it too. If we get caught, we would get court-martialed and send home, or any other punishment could happen. I didn't want that to happen to him, and neither did he wants that for me as far as I knew about him. So we were not in a pickle, a big one now as he shuffled a bit there.

"We take it as we come I guess," He replied back calmly, having me nod in agreement, "But like I said, I don't regret any part of that with you." That smile that he gave me was enough for me to think that whatever we were going to do or be in the next few days or so was going to be worth it. I was so tempted to reach over to grasp his hand, but I couldn't there and his smile was enough or me.

"Me too."


	17. Chapter 17

_I felt beyond alive again in this dream, at least I thought I was dreaming._

 _I was twirling once again at my ballet studio. My arms were moving around and up and down, my legs were soaring through the sky and cutting through the sky with ease now as I was listening to the piano that was playing in the background. It was soothing to hear the piano in the back of my head and finding myself back in my old ballroom dance class in New Orleans. The familiar sight of the run at dusk coming through the windows and the soft sounds of the wind coming from the windows with the leaves. It all looked blurry and yet crystal clear at the same time. as I was moved from one part of the room to the other part, seeing that I was the only one in the room and thinking to myself._

 _Or I thought I was thinking._

 _After a few moments or so of me dancing there in the empty room, I could hear in the distance the soft and yet thrilling sound of a bullet flying by from a rifle. I was still dancing as if it never happened, and the flying bullets are still far away from the sound of it, but as I moved around the room, the sound was getting closer and closer to me. It was like I was the only one that was hearing this and dodging them, at least I thought I was dodging the bullets. Every move felt like a bullet was almost hitting me, barely brushing my shoulder or against my leg as I moved through some kind of routine._

 _The piano was playing along with my dancing, the music was still soothing and too eery for me as the bullets were getting louder and louder, now the next sound I was hearing was the sound of men screaming out for help and for aid in the time of any battle. I knew those voices, I knew each of them since I worked with them and I fought with them. I could call them out by name now as the bullets were getting more intense and louder than before, almost as if the room was going to melt away and I was going to be back on the battlefield and in the army._

 _It was when I saw the mirror in front of me and my reflection when I woke up. I had a bullet in my head._

* * *

I woke up to the cold foxhole that I was in, my whole body shivering underneath the thick army blanket that they provided for each of us as my legs were cramped underneath me as I was folded to fit into the foxhole. I could see through the peeps of the blanket that was over my foxhole that it was the wee hours of the morning. MY own breath had some mist to it as I blinked a few times and I tried to uncurl myself from the position I was in. I reached up, seeing the pinkness in my fingers and along my skin from the cold as I touched the trap that was over my foxhole, using some of it to the side finally and poking my head out.

Everything was white, the snowfall from the night before was making the whole forest look pristine one again from the previous battles that they have seen because of us and the Germans. I couldn't hear anything from anywhere there, making me think that it was way too early in the morning for some kind of fight to happen now. But I was too deep in the forest, the Black Mambas having their own set of foxholes near the side of easy Company and too far away from me seeing the edge of the line that we between us and the enemy.

I looked around, still crunched down low and keeping my head down under the tarp for that I would not be seen in case someone was looking for another kill under their belt. I was listening, hearing the eerie quietness that filled the forest, the small hit of the wind that brought more and more cold into the area and the sun was the seeping through the trees and the branches and along the edges of the forest. It made me wonder if I got up from my foxhole that I would break the silence and bring chaos to the world.

It reminded me of my childhood home. Silence and without compassion.

I slowly moved over to the other side of the foxhole and got the trap open so that I was in the same direction of the sunrise. It once again made me think of home, this sunrise was soothing and calm within his middle of the storm. The sunrise in New Orleans was always warm and soothing, a tint of yellow and Orange was filling the whole earth like a blooming flower. But this one was more crisp, the cold air was cutting like a knife through the air now as it seemed brighter with a hint of white around it to show the coldness and the depth of pain that was there amongst the trees that we were in and that were blanketing us from the enemy. I had to remind myself that this was my new life, the life that I chose away from my family.

I could hear the faint sound of someone walking on my way now, having me look in that direction to see who it was. I felt jumpy then, thinking that it was the enemy and yet we were deep in our own territory. I saw a pair of shoes that were coming, having me look up from my foxhole and see it was another Easy Company Member: Joe Liebgott. He too looked cold in the wind that was coming through, his face partially hidden in the jacket he was wearing and the cold was there all over his body in how he was hunched over himself with his rifle on his back.

He stopped when he heard me shift a bit in my foxhole, looking down and over to me as he was standing there and I could see the cigarette there between his lips.

"Heya there, Lieutenant," he said to me in his gruff of a tone as I crawled my way out of the foxhole and stretched my legs, feeling the crisp wind there coming hard against my body and cheeks on my face.

"Hello Joe," I said in a shiver as we stood there together, my hands finding the pockets in my jacket as I watched him carefully, "How's the line lookin'?"

"Well, since I was out here since 0400 and walking back and forth freezing my toes off, nothing happened," He replied back as he inhaled his cigarette and I watched the smoke fly away quickly in the wind that was soaring through.

"For that long, no one to relieve you?" I asked him, seeing him shake his head slightly, "You should have let me do that."

"And what, get an earful from my officers about having another office do my job?" He asked me, having me watch him as he was giving me a sour look about either the weather or that he was walking around for the past few hours. I sighed, rubbing my face with my fingers to get more of my energy back there and once again hearing the sad silence that was around the area. I hated the silence, it made me think of a way to block it out within my own head for a moment or so.

"You go back to your foxhole, I'll take it from here," I explained to him, seeing him raise his own eyebrow at me now as I told him this.

"You serious?" he asked me as if it was a dumb question in itself.

"You want me to ask you again?" I countered back at him now, seeing him still watch me with his careful eyes and I just smirked at him now with my hands that were sporting my fingerless gloves.

"Why would you do that, freeze your ass out here for who knows how long?" He asked me, his voice was still cool and almost bitter against the wind and I shrugged my shoulders then, thinking that there was nothing really else to say about it. If I was going to survive in this war, I had to learn to play the way of life that was on the side of good and the side of fairness, not the side that I was raised in and brought to believe was real and true.

I had to be different from my own parents.

"It's my duty to make sure all of you in Easy Company are safe and stable enough to fight," I replied softly back to him, "If I don't let you rest and be stable for battle, then I wouldn't have done my job then haven't I?" He was still watching me see if what I was saying was right, and then he nodded slowly. I felt like he had some kind of understanding there with me, though I didn't want to tell him directly as to why I was going this. But it was still the sense of that I wanted to do more in my life that was not a reflection of my own parents and what they embedded in me.

"Well, thanks, Lieutenant," He thanked me, almost sounded a bit short about it, but there is a still a shock there on his face for how I told him to basically leave this post for me to take. He slowly walked away from me, looking bak at me one more time when I was getting my rifle out and getting it ready in my hands. It one again made me think, back to when I was younger and still with my parents under their rule, when they were still trying to groom me into something that I knew I wasn't.

* * *

 _"Come on, child," My mother said to her as we walked along the sidewalk there in the busy streets of New Orleans, I was holding her in like a death grip in my small enough dress that was tailored for me. My hair was flowing in the wind with the pins pulling my bangs back, and I was watching everything around me with wide eyes and the colors looking more vibrant than anything._

 _"Stay close to me, Cher. The streets are not good for people like us. Remember that," My mother told me in her harsh tone as we were going through the crowded streets, music was being heard all around us as the chattering of the people with each other and the other passersby. I was watching everything, beyond everything as we were still walking there with the wind picking up and to move my hair there like a dance. I remember my mother saying that we had to go meet with friends for dinner, and yet she was not able to get a car for us to drive over to meet them at the food._

 _"Never give back to people like them," My mother instructed me as she was pulling me a bit closer to her side, having me look up at her. I was merely a child, listening to my mother whom I thought loved me more with unconditionally. But my hearing this from her, what she is telling her own daughter, at that time I merely thought she was saying that to me. I didn't think she would be trying to drive any kind of way of life into me, but it was another memory of my life that my mother tried to control._

 _And now I was breaking it_

* * *

"You cold yet out here, Lieutenant?" I heard Nixon walking up being me while I was walking over to the front of the line, the other men were going their daily chores and routine that their captain gave them. Black Mamba was going out on another scout mission fro Easy as they were holding down the line and making sure nothing else moved without authorization. Nixon, as soon as I looked at him, looking like he was definitely not a morning person at all. He had a shallow look on his face his eyes were still harboring the sleepiness and the uncomfortableness of his foxhole and yet he was still walking around like it was another day in his office, not another day at war.

"Not yet, sir," I replied to him, seeing him nod his head as drink out of his canteen before he spoke on.

"I figured you would be out here instead of one of my men. Never took you as the sitting down type," He commented, having me nod in agreement.

"I'm not good with standing so still for far too long, sir," I replied.

"I hear you and the others in Mamba are going to go on another scouting mission?" He asked me now, looking over to me while he was standing a bit behind me and I nodded my head and rearranged my hold of my gun in my hands.

"They can't afford to lose one of the men in Easy since Easy is holding the line, so it's our job to go in and do more of the dirty work, sir," I replied back to him, though he could tell in my words that it was eating away at me the gravity of the situation. The boys were more important than the Special Ops team, there was still a small part of them that was saying that they were still no convinced with the Special Ops and their need to be there in the war. What more was there to do in order to gain their trust and to show them that we are meant to be here in the war. I knew Easy was glad that we were there, they were working for us and with us all the time, but I only hope that they weren't the only ones that knew that with us.

"That can't be entirely true, can it?" He asked, his voice sounded a bit off when he said it like he didn't want to believe it himself. But I kept my gaze at him, my mouth was at a thin firm line because it was getting under my skin.

"I would ask the officers back in Washington," I warned him, seeing him think to himself now as I said that to him, "Anywho, I'll go check with Captain Josephine when we'll move out to go on the scouting mission."

"Okay.." Nixon trailed off as I walked away from him, taking a few steps towards the main area of camp now, "Bellerose?"

I looked back at him, seeing him give me almost a sad smile there on his lips, but the look of warmth in his eyes. He said the one sentence that really made me feel a bit better about the whole situation.

"I think you belong here."

* * *

"Keep your eyes out for anything,"

We were walking in a long line along the forest floor, seeing nothing in front of us but our guns were out and ready for use. Captain Josephine was leading the line and I was on her left side, all of us were silent and looking from left to right. I was still not liking the quiet that was out there in the forest, the witness of the snow and whole quietness. It was almost too haunting for me to go through, almost making me think that this was some kind of hell that I was in.

I only wondered where Eugene was now?

From what I knew, he was still going back and forth between the town of Bastogne and the front line for those who were wounded in battle. His supplies were running low, his own sleep pattern was jacked up excuse of his long walks amongst the foxholes and the running back and forth to stop the blood from touching the earth. He was worked beyond his limits, we both knew that when we would sit together and talk about our day and how cold it was there. We were still trying to guide our relationship together, sitting close enough to not raise eyebrows and yet far enough away for us to not be tempted.

We were still walking along, the silent snowfall was having my mind keep turning over and over again now with Eugene, with him in my mind like he was some kind of plague that was not going to go away anytime soon. I could see his eyes, when they were piercing through the darkness when he was thinking too hard, or when he was about to fall asleep against one of the walls of the rooms we took over back in Holland, how bright they were and tired from a long day of work. It was his eyes that first brought me some kind of love.

Was it love?

Josephine's hand went up, all of us freezing there in the snow as she was looking at something ahead now and none of us were not even breathing out loud. She then pointed to her left, all of us were now moving fast and out of sight in case someone was, in fact, watching us. I moved over to a fallen log and I popped my rifle over the top of the log and I got my scope out and ready. Things were still, so still as I was looking through the scope and seeing the snow fall coming though and the distant trees. I had to trust that she saw something and I would have to see it too. But I saw nothing, which was making me panic since it was both making em think that I was missing something or that Josephine was missing something either.

I was looking slowly, moving the scope as I went as I was trying to see what she was seeing. But it was too hard to see the snowfall that was coming down, the vision was getting beyond blocked for me to see clearly, it was getting me frustrated and about to be beyond pissed since something bad could happen within the next few seconds. It was too quiet, too cold and too much for me to place my finger there on the trigger.

But then it happened.

It all happened at once, like someone starting a record on the player and the screech would be heard. It was firing from the other side of the forest, all of them were firing at us now as we were taking the shots back. Because of the lack of vision and the heavy snowfall, we were not able to see clearly how far away they were and how many there were. But they have a heavy fire and all we were trying to do the best we could to give the fire back to them.

We were getting trampled on from where we were.

"Move up!" Josephine said, still firing from her rifle as we were slowly walking forwards and getting a few of them more and more, slowly moving along the snow and dodging the bullets that were both almost hitting us and then flying off in the snow with blindness. It was not a thing that was hit or miss now, hoping that we hit them and that we were not going to be hit at all. It was feeling more like a game, and with every bullet that hit a tree nearby or the ground near our boots, I thought I was going to be hit.

But it was Captain Josephine. A bullet through the neck.

Oh God.


	18. Chapter 18

There was nothing I could do but reply it over and over in my head as they were placing the blanket over her body.

Captain Josephine's body.

It all happened in slow motion, so slow that it was impossible for me to stop. The bullet flying at her and slicing her neck open so easily like a knife through some meat. A hit of the artery, that's what did it for her. She fell, gracefully and without a sound from her lips, her body hitting the snow and the extra flake flying a bit up into the wind. It almost looked like she was falling into her bed to fall asleep and dream, but she was falling to her deathbed. The crimson blood flowing onto the snow easily and fast now as I could hear the other screaming end the Germans.

Our Captain was gone before we could blink.

Once we got the German to retreat, since most of Black Mamba charged them after they saw our captain fall dead, we took the body back to Easy, delivering the news to Winters and Nixon after they had their own round of fighting in them. I was still reeling with that happened, my own side was burning of something fierce, the pain as dulling in the aftermath of the shootout and the cold both numbing and intensifying the pain at the same time as we told him the news. He looked grave, almost like it was a slap in his own face now and the word was spreading about what happened. Winters then got in contact with HQ and more officers came out, superior officers and Sink himself to see what happened.

So we held a ceremony for her.

It was out in the forest when we knew we had time, Sink and to conduct it since she was a Captain and the rest of Black Mamba was standing at attention in front of her, behind me as I was next to her body. I looked dead ahead, already feeling the crawling sensation of wanting to scare come closer and closer to my throat and threatening to come out. I knew what was going to happen next, and they were doing it right in front of me without me warning them to stop and not let it happen. It had to be done since it was protocol now as some of Easy was standing nearby in respect now, including Winters and Nixon with the rest of the officers.

I was standing so still, the numbing in my side was getting more and more intense and almost killing me from the pain, but my now heart and mind was in another place of pain and anger at the same time. They were saying the words there, their voices were haunting and almost dull now like they've said this plenty of times now as I looked dead ahead with nothing showing my face no emotion and no sense of being aware of what was going on.

But I was fully aware.

"Lieutenant Bellerose, as second in command of Black Mamba Unit, I hereby promote you as sole Captain of the Unit and leading officer,"

It was set in stone, like it was already a mark in my grave now as I slowly raise my hand to salute Sink as he was standing in front of me with a small smile on his face, trying to me optimistic about the situation but I knew he was sad about it too. The whole area was merely trying to go through the motion as they were escorting her body away from us now on the stretcher that they provided. Sink was placing the new sigma there on me then as a sign of my promotion, which should be a joyous occasion for anyone to is going up higher in the ranks. But this felt terrible, like a part of me was dying now rotting in the earth.

I was dead inside then.

I could see their eyes on me as this was happening: all of Easy was looking right at me when Sink was finished. They looked miserable like they lost one of their own. There was the pain in their eyes, along with confusion as to why this happened to her, not to mention anger that this was happening now in the coldest place on earth. But I was feeling more, it was raw all over me like a virus and it was eating me inside and out. All I could see in my own mind was her dead body, her beautiful face now blue and lifeless and tainted in blood and how I was no longer going to learn and follower her.

It was up to me now to lead.

As soon as Sink moved out of the way for me, I walked across the area and away from the group of them, all of them were watching me like hawks now as I could hear O'Neal about to walk behind me to catch me, but she was stopped as I walked through the mass bodies of Easy and their solemn looks on me of pain and remorse.

"Leave her be," Harper said in a low and broken tone.

"What are they going to do with her body?" O'Neal sniffled at Harper.

"Send it back to her family," She replied as I was about to hit the wall of Easy men. They parted like Moses parted the Red Sea, and as I walked pass them, they saluted me in silence in respect as a new Captain in their midst. But I felt lower than a Captain, I felt like it should have been me on the stretcher, the guilt was now rising through my throat and over my eyes to have me think of nothing else but guilt.

Guilt and Shame.

Liebgott was about to reach for me when I passed him, the others were looking sad for me as I passed each of them: Babe, Grant, Muck, Johnny Martin, Penkala, Perconte, Bull, Spina, Lipton, Shifty. Eugene was near the back, his eyes were big in pain for me as he was watching me with his eager eyes of protectiveness and love. I could see that he wanted to do something, anything to comfort me, but he was standing so still and almost in tears as I walked past him without a second glance at him. I moved away from the crowd, away from all of those men and woman there and once again in the silence of the forest, walking for a minute or so and just letting it sink in and over me like a blanket.

She was gone.

I finally stopped in the middle of the forest, a bit away from the group but still close enough for them to see me now as I finally opened the gates of my guilt and shame, the tears flooding my face and down my cheeks like it was a current wave hitting the sand of the shore. I gasped out, hearing nothing from my mouth but pain there as I unclenched my hands and felt them close to my chest, gasping my jacket there as some kind of lifejacket and I cried, wept in the silence of the white forest. I leaned my head forward, the tears flooding my vision as my pain in my side was making it hard for me to breathe through each cry out as they were getting louder and louder now in the silence. I hated it all, I hated that she was the one that had to die, on my watched since I was the sniper that could have saved.

It should have been me.

"Olive," I heard a hushed whisper of pain and worry behind me as hands were placed on my sides, but I was not hearing who it was at first and not caring. I was letting it all out of my system then and falling to my knees in the snow, my tears were flowing freely and my gasps were of pain and hate and guilt from all that was come at me like bullets in all directions. It was a sick joke that this was the life that I chose, and for a mere second, I wanted to switch and have Josephine live, for me to be dead. She was worthy of a long life, not me. The hands that were at my sides moved, one of them moving to touch my neck there to bring some kind of comfort, and the other over to my ribs and then jerked away.

"Jesus Christ."

It was Eugene.

He moved the jacket out of the way and touched my ribs, having me still cry and not realize that he just discovered and was panicking about next to me. I could see a few drops hit the forest floor and he was not frantic.

"Your wounded, Olive," He whispered harshly, saying it against my ear now as I was still trying to grieve and get it out my system. I didn't care that I was injured and bleeding out, all I was thinking about was the cruel harshness of the world and how I hated it in that moment. Eugene moved my head with his fingers along my neck and he pressed his head against my own, my sobs were whimpers now and he was holding me there, almost like trying to anchor me back to reality and no longer in pain. I breathed in, grunting in pain from the wound but I finally opened my eyes to him now, the blurry vision of Eugene there looking right at me with the pain in his own eyes and in his own stance as he was kneeling next to me, wrapping me in his arms and not letting me go.

"I have you, I promise," He whispered to me hardly and in a low tone for only the both of us. I nodded, closing my eyes and feeling his forehead press into me more and more now as we were breathing in the cold snow. He needed to bring me back, he was trying to have me stay there with him and the rest of the men, not to fall deeper into my own despair. I knew him far too well, he was meant to save people from their demise.

It was my turn to be saved by him, I knew that as did he.

* * *

They took me to one of the medical wings there in town to patch up my side that was wounded. Apparently, I too was sliced from a bullet, but it wasn't a major hit that would be fatal, only a smaller slice that needed stitching and some morphine to get through the night or two now. I was sitting on one of the cots as one of the volunteer nurses finished with the last stitch and looked at her progress there along my side. She was pretty in the face, almost angelic there as I was sitting there, looking dead ahead with nothing there on my face.

It felt like I was not in my own body as she walked away and started talking to Eugene under her breath in french and he was talking in french too. It was later in that day, the snow stopped falling and we had a break in the weather, my head was thick and heavy as Eugene walked over to me, squatting in front of me now as he looked at me with his kind eyes and I could see the pain there on his own face. I knew he was going to try to say something to me to help me feel better, but I didn't want to hear it, all I wanted was to just not be there, to be somewhere else.

"Olive.." He said softly, slowly reaching out with his hands to touch my own that were still tainted in blood and cracked from the cold.

"It should have been me," I murmured out loud, seeing now the hurt in his eyes as I said that. It was like I gave him a blow to the gut now as he shook his head and I felt more tears hitting my cheeks then. I wanted to say it again, almost sounding monotone about now as he finally reached up to placed both of his hands there on me to frame my face

"Don't you dare say that," He warned me, almost sounded hurt and angry as he said that to me as I poured my eyes into his own. He didn't want to hear that from me, he knew that I was in a bad place and I was not speaking in my right mind. Was that the right case for me? Was I out of my mind then?

"You hear me, Olive? You don't want that, I know you don't. Please don't say that to me," He murmured to me now as his voice was soft again, soft and raw now as I breathed in deeply on my cot. He closed his own eyes for a second, his own hands were still on my face as I slowly brought my own to touch his own and I laced our fingers together. Once I did that he looked at it was all melting away from me and away from my body from just looking at him. I needed him, more than I could care to admit but I needed him in my life to keep me sane and peaceful in theses times of tragedy and sorrow.

I slowly lowered our joined hands to be in between us and I squeezed them together as a promise that I was going to try. No matter how defeated I felt, I had to try for Eugene and what he had to offer to me.

I was going to do it for him.

* * *

"We got word from Captain Matthews," Harper explained to me as she was standing in front of me with O'Neal and Stranton there talking to me there at the medical wing. The came to visit while the rest of Black Mamba was back at Easy Company to help them with the line. But since I was brought there, they were barely holding on without losing some of the morale along the way.

"What did he say?" I asked her now in my solemn tone that I was harboring for the past few days, still trying to drink all that was going on and breathing, which was now taking a bit too much of my own time then and making it unbearable to move my rib. I was waiting for some kind of moment or either go back to the girl in Black Mamba or just somewhere sale other than here. It was hard enough to just get through the day without thinking about Captain Josephine and how she was gone.

"He gives his condolences, and he gives you his blessing and affirmation on being the new Captain," Harper replied to me now with a small tone of her voice, seeing the uneasiness on my face as I looked at the other two behind her and I saw how they were feeling about the whole thing: uneasy.

"How thoughtful of him," I muttered under my breath and Stranton nodded in agreement.

"We all thought the same thing," She said back to me, "It was a good thing he didn't send in a card with it as well."

I grinned, I couldn't help it since it sounded so snarky compared to all that happened with us, and I saw Harper snort under her breath from hearing that too. It was feeling a bit wrong for us to laugh at something like that in a time like this, but all we could do in that moment was to laugh. It was either that we were beyond tired, or that we were trying to not get out emotions get the best of us when we knew that we were wearing down thin without our original captain.

"God, this whole thing is fucked up," Harper said in a solemn tone and almost sounding a bit drained, having me shoot a look at her.

"Harper," I warned.

"What? It is! How is it that we are out here freezing our asses off and they treat us like utter shit?" She asked the group of us aloud, not being too loud there in the medical wing since there were still some wounded soldiers around and volunteer nurses that were running back and forth to help the wounded. Even Eugene was gone for the day, to go back to the line to help the men in Easy and the others that were out on the line.

"Yeah it kind of is isn't it?" I asked the group of them, sounding a bit sad about it and but also agitated at the same time. They all nodded in agreement about it and I sighed, pushing my hair back and sweetening from moving my side.

"How's the side, Captain?" O'Neal asked, having me eye her with a raised eyebrow.

"Must you call me that?" I asked her, seeing her smirk at me.

"Yep, you're our Captain now so get used to it," She replied back to me casually and I rolled my eyes.

"The side is fine if you must know," I answered, lifting my shirt a bit for them to see the stitching along my skin and they looked, amused by me having a wound there and almost wanting to break a joke with me about it.

"I didn't think you would get wounded this early in the battlefield there, Captain," Harper said in a snort now as I eye her suspiciously then.

"Well I did," O'Neal said in a casual manner, the others giggled from the antics. It almost felt like we were back at our training area, away from the war and the fear of being killed. If only that as the case at this moment, that we were all alive and well and nothing was really damaging us from the inside out. I said quietly for a moment or two, thinking about how far we have come from this war. It made my heart sink as to how much longer as we going to take before we can call this whole thing over once and for all.

"You know we're gonna make it through this whole thing, right Captain?" Harper asked, snapping em back to reality now as I looked up at her. I could see the work of the war on her own face, the new wrinkles that were there along her cheeks and some old scars that she must have gotten without me knowing. She looked different, hell they all looked different in Black Mamba. It was like the war was trying to mold us into something different and not even close to healthy. But I could still see the hope in their eyes and in how they were still pushing through to make it to the end. If they were going to be willing to do it, then I had to do the same as well.

I had to as their Captain.

* * *

Another night there at the makeshift medical wing in town we interrupted by the sound of booming in the distance, having em blink awake and feel the ground beneath me shake a bit too and fro. It got me worried, thinking that I was dreaming again as the blanket that they gave me was slipping off my body and hitting the floor. I was wearing my old uniform there, and seeing the dim light of the room was showing that it was still late in the night. But I hear dir again, it was a bit bigger this time and I could feel more of the floor and some of the windows shake a bit from whatever it was.

Something was off.

"Evacuate now! get it out now, we're going to be bombed!" The people who were sleeping in the area were shooting up from their cots if they could, running over to those who couldn't get up on their own and were getting them out of there. I shot up, the pain in my side was coming back due to the lack of morphine that was in my system as I snagged my jacket and threw it on and walked over to the mass people that were trying to get out in the different doors that were around the place. I had no made what was going on, but I knew this was not a safe place at all now. With another rumble that was coming through and shattering a few stained glass window nearby, I was in deep trouble.

I moved over to the left side, where I saw a separate for that a few soldiers ran out of, I followed suite, thinking that it was the best avenue for me to get somewhere safe and out of harms way. Outside, in the darkness that was through the night, I could see and hear some planes flying out and around in the town there as I looked up in the sky. Lights were scattered and lit up around almost like a Christmas tree and it was shaking the whole ground and some of the buildings were swaying back and forth with each blow.

This town was about to go under.

A jeep honked, having me look over my shoulder as to what was going on and who it was. But the jeep sped up over to me, stopping right next to me as another explosion went off and some building nearby was collapsing. I looked over to see who it was in the jeep, happy and shocked to see it was none other than Doc himself sitting in the back and covering his body over what looked like to be the body of Harry Welsch. It made me panic.

" _Entrer!_ " (Get in!) He said to me in a huff now and out of breath, having me instantly hop into the jeep and the drove drove off without a second thought to it. I had to clutch the side of the jeep and I jumbled to be on top of Harry as he was unconscious, having me think for a second that he was dead, but he was moving a bit more as we were driving along the road and dodging a few things here and there that were falling from the sky.

"What happened to him?" I asked over the sound of the rumbling jeep and another explosion that as getting closer.

"He was hit tonight back on the line, I brought him here to get patched up but the building was destroyed!" He yelled over the noise, "I'm taking him to another town, and I came to get you out of here too!" I looked at him with a grave tone, seeing that he too has seen far enough for one person to see in one lifetime, I felt as thought he had suffered enough: the bags under his eyes and in how he was looking like he could snap in two. I reached over then and grasped his hand on top of Harry's chest, he clutched onto me tightly as we sped out of the town and somewhere else safe.

Once again we were each other's anchors.


	19. Chapter 19

Ardennes Forest, Belgium

"You have any intel where you're going to be next?" Winters asked me as I was sitting underneath the large tarp that he used for his own little HQ there in the forest. I was there with Nixon and also with Lipton as we were talking about the next wave of attack and the plans we were going to have to go through. Things are still out of place for us since the incident with Captain Josephine and how low we were on ammo and food, along with our own sanity. Since I was now the new acting Captain of Black Mamba Unit, I was now in charge of them and was getting more and more nervous for their wellbeing.

Easy was called to aid in taking out the woods near the town of Foy, in meant we were moving now more and more each day and no longer sitting out in the open like a target waiting to be hit by the enemy fire. Then again, even with the walking through the heavy snow, it was difficult not stand on a land mine or dodge the sporadic gunfire. Easy was dropping by file, little by little. Hell, they even lost Hoobler to an accident with a gun he lifted from a dead German soldier.

It was rough to say the very least.

"We're going to head over to the East back near the France borderline and help with that invasion that's threatening," I explained to him, seeing him shiver there in his peacoat and look a bit out of it from the cold that was surrounding us int hat forest. Everything it felt like it was getting colder and colder, the bitterness was intensifying every night as we were trying to rest and get more energy in us. But it was harder than we thought.

"That far out? What's so important out there that any other company can't handle without you?" Nixon asked me in amusement as he was looking over at me with his own small scuffle coming in on his face. I shrugged my shudders then with my hands in my pockets to stop them from shivering back and forth in the foxhole.

"They don't think they want to keep us here, maybe moving us will light another fire underneath us and bring us back in our morale," I explained to him, the both of them and Lipton over to my side were a bit quiet from how I said that it almost was a bit bitter about it but then I had to make it sound like the truth than anything else. I was still getting used to being an official captain, and this was not getting it easier for me.

"Let me guess, they want to run more missions or you to keep an eye on you?" Nixon asked me, having me raise an eyebrow at him now in confusion, "I'm gonna guess that's what their real intentions were."

"Lew…" Winters warned him but I shook my head.

"It's true: they wanted to motivate us," I answered.

"I doubt that's true, Captain," Lipton tried to reassure me, but he could tell in how the situation was and where we were going to be guided next in this phase of the war. I didn't want to admit it anymore, but it was true where they were going to send us and keep us occupied and almost out of the way from the others in the war. It was both a bitter taste in my mouth, and a hunger to challenge that and prove them wrong.

"Whether it's true or not, we have to be ready to let Easy know that we will be parting ways with Black Mamba for the time being. We'll tell them in the morning since they're winding down for the day, I don't want to damper their spirits anymore, it's been rough for them these days out here."

"Agreed, we'll do it in the morning. In the meantime, make sure we have those guys that we picked out to go on patrol or the first 4 hours, then we switch out soon enough," Nixon explained to us there in the tent.

"I'll have Harper go out on patrol tonight and help out with the walking load," I explained, seeing Dick shake his head at the notion.

"You don't have to do that for us, Captain Bellerose," Winters tried to reason with me, but I shook my own head at him from hearing that.

"We're still here to help, Captain Winters. I won't let my soldiers be anything less than what they are," I explained calmly to him, hoping that he did get the gentle hit that we were still her to work and to be a part of this war. He knew it too, nodding his head and I got up from my spot there in the tent, about to walk about and head over to my own foxhole and get some rest for the night.

"We're going to miss you and the rest of Black Mamba out here, Captain," Lipton reminded me, his soft smile there was kind enough for me to see and to admire as one officer to another. I could tell he meant it very much so, he was never one to play around with someone's feelings, he was the moral compass of the men in Easy. It made me wish that I could be more of a leader like him.

"Thank you, sir," I said to him, seeing him smile back at me and the others smiling as well. I knew they wanted to say it, and I wanted to say the same thing too.

I was going to miss Easy. More than they knew.

* * *

"You awake?" It was a soft whisper, almost cutting into the wind that was whipping through the night as the top of my tarp was cracked open and I squinted a bit. I tried to get the sleep out of me for a solid second to see who it was that spoke up. I moved my head from having it be planted against the dirt wall, almost yawning fan trying to wipe the tired off my face as I heard it once more.

"Olive, you awake?" I knew that voice, in which I moved my head up and over to the shining of the night light that was coming in through the crack of the open tarp. I saw the silhouette of a man with his helmet on, having me sigh almost in relief, seeing him cock his head at me.

"I'm awake," I whispered back, almost sounding out of it from the lack of sleep. He moved the trap back a bit more before he hopped into the foxhole. Before I knew it, the tarp was pulled back and we were in darkness again with just a few streak of the night and its moonlight coming through at the sides. I adjusted to the darkness once more, seeing his face there along the lines of blue from the night.

Eugene.

"You okay?" He asked me softly, scooting a bit closer to me to have our knees touching one another.

"Yeah, just tired and trying to stay warm," I replied, seeing him move his helmet of this head and sigh as he leaned his head back against the wall, a sigh escaping from his lips there and I looked to see that once again he looked out of it and out of place. He was worn down to his bones.

"Eugene, you need to get some sleep," I urged him calmly, reached over to touch the corner of his jacket as if it was enough for him to feel me close to him and to know that I was there as support.

"I need to make sure no bodies died out here," He said to me, not sounding bitter, but sounding tired.

"You're been out of it since you took care of Harry Welsh," I reminded Eugene carefully, seeing him finally look over at me and I smiled at him carefully.

"I haven't had sleep in days," he admitted, having me finally scoot over to him now and lean over to having him lean against me.

"Go to sleep here," I calmly ordered him, thinking that it would be better for me not to raise my voice with him and just keep it calm between the both of us. I was in no mood for a fight with him, and I didn't have the heart to tell him what as going to happen with me and Black Mamba come the end of the week.

"I don't think I should be in here with a Captain," He reminded softly.

"No, you're in here with a friend. You can still leave, if you want. I wouldn't be surprised," I admitted, seeing him now eye me with a look of confusion. I made it sound like a pity that he was staying there, but I knew where he was coming from. I was a Captain now: a new role had to be played especially fi I was out here with other soldiers that were on the brink of starvation and first bite.

"I'm not goin' anywhere," He stated finally, shifting back a bit in the foxhole and shoving his hands in his pockets. I felt the quietness there amongst the both of us, we haven't been able to be alone since we first talked in Bastogne about where we were as a couple. Most of the time he was off protecting the boys and I was running Black Mamba, I missed this company far too much.

"I had a dream the other night, about home," I said out of the blue, not realizing that I did but I felt like we needed to talk about something that was going to take the cold away from our minds, "It was a nice enough for me to think that it was warm out here. The sticky hot weather in July,"

"Yeah, I remember those," Eugene mumbled, having me see that he was listening and I could picture the dream in my own head now, the warm sun on my back and the soothing feeling of the grass along my fingers and near my toes.

"If there's one thing I miss about home, it's the sun," I said carefully, not thinking about my family or how they no longer wanted me in the picture because of how I was so opposite of what they wanted from me. The sun there, as different as the sun was there compared to others places in the world, was warm enough to make me happy. I missed it and craved it.

"I hate the sun," Eugene mumbled again, now having me open my eyes and look at him now in shock, though I too was shivering there in the foxhole that we both were in. He eyed me, his beautiful but dark eyes were clearly seen in the darkness of the small space.

"I'd get a sunburn every time I'd work outside," I grinned when he said that, seeing a small smile on his lips as well. Such a simple sentence was enough for me to grin from ear to ear. He grinned too, making his whole face light up from the warmth of the memory. I was glad to see him smile again, a genuine smile that made me feel warm all over again for the first time in awhile.

"I bet you look like a strawberry," I joked seeing him roll his eyes slightly and already feel agitated about it since I was poking fun at him and what he would look like.

"Stop," he warned, but a giggle escaped my lips before I could do anything else.

"More like I a peach since you're so light," I teased as he was still smiling but I could tell he was trying so hard not to laugh either or let the embarrassment come over him. I only meant it in clean fun, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing too as I scooted a bit closer to him now in the foxhole and our knees touched there in the tight spot that we harbored.

I saw him almost reach out to touch my knee, but something inside of him stopped and it made me wonder what it was that made him stop. A part of me wanted to reach out, to grasp that warmth hat I knew he had within him that he would never let another person see nor experience since it was not part of his job description. But the other part of me told me to be careful, to not be in over my head as I always would. I had to be logical about things now, my had had to take the place of my heart.

I hated that burden.

"Don't loose yourself, Gene," I said to him finally, seeing him look at where his hand was on his knee over to my eyes. I saw him thinking about what I told him in his head, trying to work it out as to why I said that to him. But I knew what I was doing, I knew what was going to happen to him if he wasn't careful. They all had to be careful if one person would lose their head than all would be lost. Currently, in the cold and away from anything safe, losing their minds was going to come close behind. It was making sense to him now as I touched the top of his hand with my fingertips.

"Please, don't lose yourself."

* * *

"It's true? You gals are leavin' us?"

"Yeah, yeah it is," I saw Guarnere and Babe, along with Malarky and Buck looking a bit lost when they came up to me and the news was placed on their lap about Black Mamba leaving Easy and going off on a mission that we knew was going to take us. I felt bad for telling them this early that morning, but it was better then than never. It was once again cold and the wind was picking up around us there

"Shit," Guarnere said under his breath as he was drinking in the news, "Do the others know?"

"I told Liebgott and Martin, and they told some of the others too while you guys were on patrol," I explained, having me see past the group of men I was talking to and watching some of the Black Mamba Unit talk to the Easy boy, saying their goodbyes. I felt bad for them too since I knew they were making friends with each other, and now I felt like the bad mother who was splitting them up to not see each other again.

"How are we gonna survive out here and not lose our heads without ya, Captain?" Babe asked, sounding a bit hurt about it and I could see the same kind of hurt on his face. I didn't know how to react to that, and it was worse since someone was walking over to hear me talking to the men in front of me. I knew it was Eugene since he stopped a watched, from a few feet away and was not intruding on the conversation. He didn't have to say a single word since I saw it all over his face and in how he was standing there, reserved and not giving it away.

"You're gonna have to, Babe," I simply replied, seeing him smirk at me as Guarnere clasped me on the shoulder gently and with kindness, a contrast to how he would do it to the others in his own Company.

"Take it easy then, will ya Captain?" He asked, his accent was still raw enough to be felt in the snow but kind enough for have me see him as a friend, "We wanna hear more stories about the Black Mamba and all the ass they're kickin'."

"You guys are the best company we've worked with," Malarky confessed truthfully, a small enough beard was seen on his thoughtful face. Buck chuckled from his remark as we shook hands. Buck was a good enough person I would consider to be an officer, he could look out for the boys and treat them right. He was going to, I could feel it.

"Take care of the boys, Buck," I ordered, seeing him nod his head.

"Nothing's gonna happen to them," He reassured me. After the four of them walked away from me, still talking about it and getting in their brains, I was left there with Eugene. He stayed, waiting for the right moment to come over and talk to me. I watched him carefully as he glided over to where I was standing in the snow, still saying nothing but was thinking a little too much for my liking.

"You know how long you're gonna be?" He asked, sounding collected about it as I shook my head.

"Don't know. Could be a few days or weeks, maybe a month," I answered, almost seeing a twinge of pain there on his face when I said that to him, "But I know I'm comin' back to Easy. I don't know about the other girls or if they're going to be placed in other places, But I'll be coming back." He had to know that I was going to return to Easy, that I wasn't going to leave them behind. I didn't want to leave, I grew close to the men as if we were one company. However, given the circumstances, reality had to be in place and had to give way.

Eugene walked over a bit more, inches away from me but far enough to not have someone get the bright idea of the both of us. He was hesitant, as was I since we both knew what we wanted to do in order to say goodbye briefly. So he did something that I didn't see coming: he placed both of his hands there along with my neck. Almost framing my face and I could feel the warmth and almost hotness of his fingers against my cold neck. He was looking right at me, and it felt like I was seeing right through his eyes and into his brain, as scary as it was since he was showing me with his gaze.

"I know we agreed in the past not to worry 'bout each other," He started, the sound of his voice was almost too raspy for me to be okay with, "But can ya—"

"You know I will," I finished the sentence, touched his wrists there that was close to my face. He still worried about me, and vice versa. Even after we talked about how we were capable of handling our own demons and fighting against the enemy, but that underline that we both were at was enough to still care.

"You do the same, Eugene," I persuaded, seeing him give me a softer smile as I could have sworn I felt him move his thumb against my jaw there as he was still framing my face. Every shift of his thumb was enough of a spark that would leave me breathless, and it was enough in that moment. "Je me sluice de vows." (I care about you.)

"Moi aussi mon cher." (Me too, dear.) He replied in his now whisper, in which I grinned at him, hearing that alone was enough for me to feel some sort of warmth back to me again that I thought I lost when we first got into the forest.

"What?" He asked, pulling back a bit since he felt like he said the wrong thing. I stayed close to him, keeping my hold on his wrist in case he was going to run away from me.

"You've never called me that before," I voiced, sounding a bit too giddy out loud there between the both of us. It was true since we both were taking whatever was going on between the both of us so slow that we never really gotten to that part of it.

"You don't like it," He stated, yet I shook my head and his hand with the movements since he was not going to release me anytime soon.

"I do," I reassured, pulling him in then to give him a proper hug. I wanted to hug him forever, so I can imprint what it felt like to be held by him into my brain. Whatever was going to happen to me in the future was going to rock me good, and this hug was going to get me through any of the nights or close encounters with death. I felt him press into me too, enough for me to feel that he too didn't want to let me go.

This whole war was shot to hell, and we both knew it.

* * *

We went to work alongside the British once again, an order that was sought out by Major-General Lucian Truscott back in 1942 but now we were ripped in on the action. We weren't the only Special Operations Unit out there, but we were the only one that was female operated and run. While most of the men were holding down Belgium and that line there in the forest, we were moved over to other places where the Germans were about to hit the Allied Forces hard. This was the first time we were going out on missions without Captain Josephine.

I was leading the charge now.

We were giving missions like we have done in the past: small assaults on little battalions that were a threat to our men. It was the same for us when it came to assaults and attacks, but it felt different this time. Different and yet the same, not matter how many times we covered out faces with the bandanas and mud from the ground to hide our identities, it was still an off feeling without Captain Josephine. It was my job now to make sure we were not only successful, but we weren't going to lose any more soldiers in my unit. That would be my worst fear: one of my own dying under my command. I was not going to let that happen and let that nightmare become a reality.

We moved through the night, going along the lines with the British and taking out communications that the Germans thought they had the upper hand in. It felt like we were stronger since we came out of the cold forest in Belgium, and every once in awhile we would think of Easy and how they were doing. I never had the time to write to Eugene, let alone Captain Winter and Nixon for that matter since we were always on the move to the next mission and the next place. Who knew if they were writing back since they didn't know where to right to.

As the days and night were morphing into one long chaos of fighting and movement, I could feel our unit getting stronger and stronger. With every town that we would go in, every soldier that would fall under our weapons, we were slowly but surely being known by the others in the whole army.

One of those nights when we took out the last of a small town in France, we stood there in the courtyard with the German bodies around us, all of us pausing and gasping for air from the recent assault. This recent one was a bit rough: a few jabs here and there from the enemy and they thought they had the upper hand. I even took a hard one to the face along my cheek, a bruise was clearly going to be there as one of their best fighters was going to try and get me out. I returned the favor with a snap of his neck, something too terrible that was done within a second and with a flick of my hands.

"So, Captain," Harper said to me as I moved my bandana from my mouth and face and I saw her do the same, "Did you know?"

"Know that they were going to flank us?" I asked in a huff as I shoved the bandana around my neck and my rifle back over my shoulder.

"No, Captain," She answered, "What tonight is," Everyone stopped and looked at her now as she said that. None of us knew what was happening in her head as she was slipping off some blood from her knuckles onto her combat jacket.

I shook my head, seeing her grin at me a big grin, which seemed odd in all place and at this time. When she said nothing, I could hear something far off in the distance, something very soft and yet haunting in the air as we all listened as well. It sounded like a melody in the sky, bells from some church out on the corner of town within the cold wind that was howling through the countryside.

"Christmas," I said in a gasp, hearing the music to Silent Night coming through the night and the town since it was so quiet now compared to us fighting the men moments before. We have forgotten, no one told us a single thing or warned us, that it was Christmas night. It was the first time that I felt lost on Christmas day. Christmas was supposed to be a time of being with the people you love, to be with your family, but this was my reality. I was nowhere near my family, the family that disowned me. I was nowhere near my home since it seemed like it was literally on the other side of the world.

It made me feel a single tear going down my cheek, and I thought it froze there along the top of my skin.


	20. Chapter 20

January 1945

"Heads down." I was looking through the scope and waiting for the smallest of movement from the enemy since we were in the perfect spot with the heavy snowfall in that abandoned town. We got word that this town was being used by the Germans as an advantage against the Allied Force. They were plenty of towns in order to advance to the forest where Easy was, along with other companies. Bastogne and a couple of the other towns near the Belgium forest were the targets since they were desperate to take over the war and be dominated. The Allied Forces were desperate to stop them from getting anywhere closer to our line and from them taking over the war once and for all. The Germans were already taking out one too many companies and hitting them down like flies on a wall.

That's when we came in.

We got wind of this town and it was another scouting sight for the Germans to use when Allied Forces were going to roll in and try to move through. This was a great opportunity for them to pick out the soldier one by one since they too were hiding in the shadows like we were. But we were smarter, sneaking into the town without them noticing us, not even one of us. We were far too good for them to see us going along the backside of the walls of the buildings and even scaling the top of the rooftops. That's where I was, crawling up the side of the building suing some of my tools and then going up behind a few of the snipers there were watching out in the square, taking them out from behind as Harper was doing the same.

we both were watching through one of the cracks of the rooftop, our bodies were not being seen as I knew some of the other German soldiers were along the other rooftop. We were too quiet when it came to taking out one body and then going in as their body, We even went far enough along with placing their helmets on our heads to have some kind of cover and some kind of insurance on our end. They would still think we were German as we were waiting for the right moment to strike, part of my gaze was across the way to the rooftop on the other side of the square to the other points along the buildings and small shops. It was far too quiet, way too quiet and it felt like both sides were waiting for the other to made the first move.

But we knew it would be them first since we saw the jeep rolling in.

The small jeep made me hyper aware, staying so still and watching with my finger there on the trigger. We knew the jeep was going to come through the town in order to drop off intelligence documents that they were going to transfer to a higher command. This town was a drop-off, and yet they weren't going to leave the town all in once piece.

The jeep pulled to a sudden stop right in the middle, having me shift a bit on my belly as I was still lying down and keeping my gun at the ready. One of the Germans hopped out of the jeep, having me notice his uniform and how he was talking to the driver there without me hearing what he was saying since he was so far away.

He was a Captain.

I waited for a few seconds, counting in my head and watching for the one moment that we needed. It had to be at the right time or it would all be shot to hell and things could go horribly wrong. The snow was still falling hard, and other than the wind whipping through the town hard, we were silent and we were so still. I wondered if the Germans were seeing us on our spots, in spite of the wind. But it was still going just right for us as I was looking through my scope, seeing the whole interaction fold out in front of me, and I was just in the perfect spot to see all of it.

The documents, in a large mail folder that looked prestige and perfect, was being held by the Captain, and I could see someone moving out from the shadows and over to where the Captain was in the center of the town. I looked, one of the Germans was walking from hiding out in one of the shops in order to talk to the Captain. Quickly and without moving my now head, I looked around briefly to see if anyone from Black Mamba was moving or giving away their spots and hiding places, thankfully they didn't. They were still waiting for me and my signal to take them both out and start the assault. I just had to wait for the right moment to pull the trigger.

Once I could see that the both of them were in the right spot, I drew out a deep breath and it made me remember, it made me remember Eugene again and how it almost made me falter a bit from not shooting the man then and there. Eugene was in my head and what he told me before I left him behind with Easy, such a still thing to think about at this moment but I heard his voice in his head.

"Don't lose yourself."

Was I losing myself in this moment? I was about to shoot a man in the head, and all I was thinking about was my Black Mamba Unit and me being the leader. I was thinking of where I was going to take them next, how I was going to protect them with my decisions, and how we were going to get out of this war alive and in one piece. There were plenty of times when I made sure they were sleeping first or that they were eating and filling up their bellies. I placed myself in the backseat when it came to having necessities and staying alive. It felt terrible, now that I was thinking about in that moment and Eugene telling me that one sentence, but I felt like I was more selfless than selfish.

I was failing Eugene so far since there were times when I felt like I was going to bed hungry when I gave my portions to another member of Black Mamba, or when I would say up late at night on patrol to make sure they were resting and they were not going to be harmed. But I had to do those things since I was their Captain, I was meant to lead them and make sure we would win every mission that came our way. Did that mean my own health would be on the line from time to time? It might have been, and I would need to apologize to Eugene or at least show him that I meant well.

Snapping back to reality, I looked through my scope and through the thick downfall of the snow that was seeping down from the sky to find his head, seeing that he had no helmet on and was wearing his captain cap on his head and his thick winter coat. I felt a wee bit more pressure from my finger on the trigger taking in one more deep breath and saying a silent prayer in hopes God would hear. I prayed He would protect me, that He would let Eugene understand that I was trying so hard to at least stay alive and not to die out there. Lastly, as I pulled the trigger and the shot rang out in the silence of the town, that Eugene would forgive me, as well as God himself.

The Captain fell, and a second later, the Lieutenant that walked out there to meet him was shot in the head as well, thanks to Harper from her spot on the right side of the town. Within seconds, screams in German were heard from the others that too were hiding and I could see at least one of them running out from the side and from their own hideout to get the two bodies that were now on the floor. I took another shot, seeing that one fall to the ground and that when all hell broke loose.

They were shooting all over the place.

It was now a game of making sure the documents, in the dead Lieutenant's hands, were not going to be touched by another German soldier since they probably were going to try and retrieve the information and the papers in there. It almost felt like shooting fish in a barrel and I shot at one more before getting up from my spot and I started running. I knew Harper was going to take care of the others since she was going to be the sniper in this mission. The others were going to cover me as I was running over to the edge of the roof and I was about to jump off the roof and over to the second where I knew I was going to go down on the ground level. We had this plan in our heads from the moment we came into the town and we mapped out where we were going to be and where we were going to shoot.

The plan so far was going into effect.

More shots were heard, a few were aimed high in the air and almost trying to get near me as I was sprinting to jump over the gap from one roof to another, the wind was colder now since I was getting faster and faster. I was trying to avoid those shot and also trying not to be seen as I ran to another gap in the building and this time, I jumped too short for the soldier reason of falling to the floor. I landed in the corner, my fingers digging onto the top to grasp the corner tightly and for me to plant my feet against the brick. I hoisted myself up and breathed out before I launched myself to the building behind me, falling lower and hitting the window that was left wide open and falling inside with ease.

Inside the room there were two other Germans that were shocked to see me there, but within a second as I was coming out of my roll from the landing outside, I had my pistol ready in my hand and I shot at one o f them to see him fall as I moved out of the way from the other shooting at me with his rifle. I got on my feet just in time for him to try to make another shot as I shot at him once with my pistol again and I got him square in the eye. The both of them were dead, having me sigh in a brief moment of relief and peace before I walked over to the window to look out without having me go out there on my own and be seen.

Gunfire was still heard and the Germans were sounding more frantic, which made me happy since it sounded like we were still going strong on our end. But there was still time running out, and I had to get down there onto the floor to get the paper and make sure we had it in our possession. I bolted out of the room to find the staircase and to find my way down to the first floor.

The fighting was getting more intense as I was looking out the window to see when it would be the best title for me to make my way to the center square, still having my eyes on the document that was now getting a little moist from the snowfall that was coming down hard then. I cocked my pistol, getting the door open then and working up a good walk over to the center. The bullets were flying back and forth over me and trying to hit me as some of the Germans were yelling out to hit me since they knew where I was going. I was keeping myself alive with every shot that I was taking against those who were trying to get close enough to me to get me killed. Some of them were running out, and if they weren't being shot by my Black Mamba Unit, I was doing the deed myself. I could see them thinning out more and more as we were taking them out one by one.

When the last one was about to shoot me, he froze when I looked over at him, seeing him look scared shitless there in the square with his small pistol there in front of himself and his body and it was aimed right at me. I was just watching him for a few seconds, most of my face covered by the bandana and the wind coming through to bring some coolness there on my face. I gave him a cold stare, and though Eugene was still talking to me in my head and I could see the scared look on his face since he knew that he was the last one standing. I knew that the others weren't going to shoot since they knew I could do it on my own, and then again they were waiting for my own command. Something, on the other hand, was making me stop.

Something told me to spare him.

" _Geh, Jetzt_." (Leave, now.) I said to him, my voice low and unable to tell that I was a female. He stood there for a moment, not understanding what I was saying to him now and he was registering it in his head. But I cocked my gun at my side, showing that I was one to be played with. Instantly, within a second after I made that move in front of him, he dropped his gun there on the floor and bolted out of the city. I watched him quietly, seeing him sprint like he was a bat out of hell. After he was long gone, disappearing into the thick snow, I finally moved and shifted there in the snow and in the deserted square. Moving slowly, I looked around and saw the dead bodies there scattered amongst the stone cableway that was carved into the earth for the town, another sign that this was a successful mission.

I whistled once and long, hearing nothing at first but knowing that it was the signal for them to come out. Slowly, I could see them all come out, one by one and slowly walk over to me in the middle of the square as I looked down and I saw what we came here for the document in the manila folder. Reaching down I grasped the cold material there in my hands as Black Mamba met me with their rifles still out and ready for anything else that could come out of nowhere. I looked at each of them, seeing that none of them were injured from the mission and they were still cool and calm.

"Well done, Black Mamba," I said to them now as I moved my bandana from my face to finally breathe from the restraint of breathing normally. The others were doing the same now since I was the first one to do it, "We're gonna send this to HQ with Matthews. This should be our last mission."

"You serious, Captain?" O' Neal asked, not sounding too convinced about it.

"As serious as I'm going to be. We deserved a bit of a break," I explained as some of the girls were shifting back and forth on their feet in order to keep warm there. I knew they would be shocked about it as well as I was when I heard the news since we were mostly there to stop any of the Germans that were going to come through the cracks and trying to make us weak. We've been doing this for weeks, and yet it felt like it was longer than that. To me, because of the pure exhaustion and the constant fighting, it felt like years.

"Where are we going to go from here?" Stanton asked.

"Matthews wants us back with Easy," I answered, "He let me now before we came out here. Easy's holding down the line near the town of Foy and they're close to taking it over to stop the last line of defense against the Germans." From the recent talk with him, Matthews wanted us to be bale to help Easy with we could and when our mission was done, and from what he heard Easy was not doing so great out there in the cold. They needed aid, the tough cold that was surrounding them and the lack of supplies and the food was making things grow very thin. I could tell some of them were about to break and they were losing the last sense of sanity.

"Hopefully this will be the end of this shitty war, no offense Captain," Harper said to me as she moved her hair from her eyes, "But those boys need a break, and we need to blow what forest to bits."

"We're going to help them, Harper," I reassured her. I knew where she was coming from: those boys have been through more than enough when it came to war and when it came to the cold that was Bastogne. I wanted them out of there, all of them, to be warm again and to not worry about dying in the middle of the night due to the cold temperatures. It was up to Black Mamba to help Easy and make sure that the burden that they were going to carry on their own backs was a bit lighter than before.

"We're going to help them by any means."

* * *

Ardennes Forest,

outside of the Town of Foy

I hopped out of the jeep and walked over to both Winters and Sink who were out at the outline of the forest, the rest of the girls were right behind me and walking just as fast to keep up with me since I could tell they were about to be on the brink of going to the town and starting a full-blown riot. I was already ready for anything that was going to be thrown out, since when I was briefed by Matthew before I came, I knew they were very so thin. They lost men, including Hoobler, Muck, and Penkala, not to mention Guarnere and Toye were one gone and heading home because they both lost their legs.

Those two, it hurt my heart.

I never got to say goodbye to them, which was the worst part of it all since they both were kind to me, even with the rough edges around themselves that they would use in battle. But now they were gone, and I could only wonder if they were ever going to be okay. But now we had to make sure no one else was going to die because of this Goddamn war.

The first person that I thought of when we were going back, of course, was Eugene. I thought of how he was doing out there in the cold, how he was running back and forth as the medic and if he was alright. He knew how to hold his own. But how much would he be able to take before even he would snap? How much blood has he seen? How many times have his hands been caked in blood or whatever else has been given to him? If only he wasn't here, if only any of the men weren't here. That's all that would be fair for now on.

"Bellerose?" Winters looked over at me now as he looked beyond shocked to see me. He had a jacket over his own uniform, the cold was written on his face along with fatigue and what seemed to be a weariness of the war in general.

"Sir," I said to him as I briefly looked away from him over to the town that was close and yet far away at the same time. I could see our men going out there trying to avoid the firing that was already happening and going behind the large haystacks to get away from any kind of harm. It was already not looking good for them, and all Winters could do was stay on the sidelines and not go over there to at least protect them.

"What's going on?" I asked as I looked back at him, seeing the fear there on his face and in how he was looking at the Easy who was out there already suffering without any sense of direction.

"Dike's leading them to hell," He grumbled out as Sink was still watching without saying a single word about and just looking with his own eyes. I looked back at the girls, seeing them watch me and see what I was going to tell them what to do.

"Get your weapons ready," I ordered themes seeing them cock their guns.

"Only if it's necessary, Captain Bellerose," Sink reminded me for his spot behind me near Winters, Winter briefly shot him look out as more gunshots were fired, and it was intensifying. I felt as if the ground beneath us was shaking though they were too far out for us to even be close to the firing. But I could see it, as well as the others in Black Mamba as we were seeing some of the men already fall to the floor and the dirt flying in the air from the grenades and the snipers from the Germans. We were not looking good.

"You've got to keep moving!"

Sink was calling out to Winters as Winters was so close to going out there himself to scream at Dike to move and get the men out of there. I shot a look over at him now as Sink was almost scolding him like a child who did not listen to his parent and Winters was about to sprint out there by himself.

"You do not go out there! You're the battalion commander, get back here!" he yelled at Winters, who looked back at him and with a heavy reluctance was retreating from his spot there almost in the open with his rifle in hand, "I understand your attachment to Easy—"

"Spiers and Bellerose! Get yourselves over here!" Winters said finally, in which I bolted to him and another officer was running over as well. I briefly looked over at him, not recognizing the other who had his own rifle out at the ready. His own, Dog Company, was still in the back amongst the trees and they were waiting like the rest of us as Spiers and I stood in front of Winters.

"Spiers, get out there and relieve Dike and take that attack on in," Winters ordered him before he looked at me, "Bellerose, take three others, your sharp shooters, out there and get rid of those snipers for the men."

I nodded looked back at the girls there who were still close enough together and I held up three fingers. Pointing to my rifle, I knew they knew what I needed. Stanton, O'Neal, and Jameson ran over with me and behind me as Spiers and I were bolting out into the open, my rifle along my back and my arms were pumping at a fast speed. One of the launchers aimed right at us as we were trenching through the thick snow, having me rethink how we were getting there.

"Mamba, split up!" I yelled over my shoulder two of us went left with Spiers and the other two moved to the right just in time for the explosion in front of us. I dodged it, but I could see Spiers going through the flying dirt in front of him as if it was nothing but rain. I moved back to stay near him as we went over to meet Lipton and Dike, who looked shell shock and like he wasn't there in the head. The Easy men were confused as to what was going on, O'Neal and Stanton were kneeling behind one haystack about twenty feet away from us as I was with Spiers, Jameson and I was near the others in Easy. Spiers grabbed the collar of Dike to have him look up at him, and I could see Dike was nowhere near normal on his face.

He was lost.

"I'm taking over. 1st Sergeant Lipton!" Spiers called out,

"Here!" I looked to the call to see Lipton there who rushed over to him now and see me, briefly looking relieved to be a familiar face.

"What of we got?" Spiers asked him as he stood up a bit and looked at the scene with his own eyes. I did the same, having my rifle out in my hands and getting my scope into my hands to place on the top of my weapon.

"Sir, most of the company is spread out here." Lipton explained, "The 1st platoon tried and end-around. But they're stretched out. They're pinned by a sniper. I believe he's in that building with the caved in roof,"

"Mamba has the sniper, 1st sergeant," I reassured over the gunfire as I was looking through the scope where he was telling me he noticed the sniper. It took me a few second, but I saw where he was talking out, and the small opening there in the roof was the perfect place for assault.

"I want mortars and grande launchers on that building to help Back Mamba until it's gone. When it's gone, I want the 1st platoon to go straight in, forget going around." Spiers explained to him in a fast pace as he then looked over at me. I looked back at him as I lowered my rifle for a few seconds, seeing him drill his eyes into my own. I never met the man before, but I could tell already that he was a solid leader, and I was going to listen to what he had to say whether the rank mattered or not.

"Captain, make sure the sniper goes down, those grander and launchers will help just in case," He explained.

"No need for those, we can take it. I'll have two of my own to help with the assault and I'll take out with me, we'll pin it down." I explained cocking my gun and then moving away from them before he could say anything. Jameson and I made it to Scranton and O'Neal. Within a second I threw my rifle over my shoulder with the strap there against my chest as I got my pistol ready to go.

"You both go around to the East, get them from the side that has the less cover. Make sure you stay low and hit the barn with the caved in roof on the corner near us. The Sniper's in there and it's the most active. Keep an eye out for the other snipers, and make sure Easy's safe." I explained to the other two, "Jameson and I are going to take him out here in the front."

"Be careful, Captain," O'Neal warned me, "Both of you be careful."

"Same to you Lieutenant," I mimicked as we once again split up and I was running alongside the haystacks to find the Easy men with Jameson. I could see some of the men there already advancing and trying to avoid the major firing that was coming right at us, from the launchers that were trying to slow us down. I was bolting so fast with Jameson next to me and we were almost outrunning some of the men as we were turning the corner and making our way into the town finally.

The Germans were dressed in white, almost to blend into the snow now as I threw out my pistol to get at least three of them down before we were dodging to the side and to avoid the others that were firing back at us. Jameson and I stayed out of sight and we both got our rifles ready to go, the cold was almost a big obstacle as well as the debris that was flying in the air.

"Take them out," I told Jameson as we both were trying to shoot down some of the Germans that were in our line of sight. Things were moving around, plenty of things all at once and it was getting hard for me to concentrate or even keep a clear eye out what the people running around. Two Germans ran over to us and tried to get us close, but I threw the first one aside since he was getting close to Jameson. I shot at his head once and Jameson got the second one with two shots. That seemed too close.

Lipton, Luz, and Spiers were on the other side, Jameson was getting her rifle ready in her hadn't as we both looked for the barn that Lipton was talking about,

"I'll cover you," I said to her as I cocked my gun and I she did the same, the both of us peeking around the corner. I could see some of the Germans moving around at a frantic pace and a few tanks here and there, moving along the streets. Jameson was shooting once or twice before she tucked back in, having me look at her.

"I can't get it," She said over the gunfire, in which I got my rifle out and turned the corner, looking through the scope to see if I could find the barn. But then I hear someone running by the both of us, making me look down at my scope and see none other than Spiers running out into the open, getting to the other side of the town. At first, Jameson and I said nothing since we were shocked to see him there and not being shot at.

"Jesus," Jameson breathed out as I looked through the scope again and I finally saw the barn there. I took another deep breath, waiting for the right moment and when I knew I could take the shot and end that sniper. Within a second, I saw the flicker go off of the sniper shooting and I took the two shots. Those two shots rang in my ear as I saw nothing else coming from the barn. We finally took out the snipers, having me sigh in relief as Spiers was running back with the Germans trailing behind him and trying to shoot him.

"Cover him!" I ordered Jameson as we both got our rifles over in that directional and shot down the Germans that were about to hit him. I barely knew him, and it felt like I had to protect him at all cost since he was the one that led the attack in Foye. He meant well with Easy, so I had to mean well for him in return.

He was a force to be reckoned with for certain.


	21. Chapter 21

There were candles everywhere, only giving a bit of warmth in the cold chapel.

I was watching one particular candle burning its way down to the bottom of the holder it was on as we were sitting there in the chapel. At least Black Mamba was in the chapel since I ushered them away as soon as the coast was clear and we could rest before we were moving out to the next area. I knew we needed some kind of break, I could see it on their faces on those who came out to me in the recent battle. It felt messy, compared to other missions we were on. Messy and too violent.

Easy was somewhere outside finishing up their cleaning of the town, and a part of me wanted to take the girls out there to at least help with the process. But the other part of me needed to keep them separated, since it was very clear back before the assault happened, out in the forest with Sink and his one remark, that we were on different pages when it came to warfare.

We were there only if we were needed. Like we were extra space.

Was that supposed to be true? In a world that was overrun by men and how men would think, it was a bit harder for us to have some kind of place here when we were just trying to do our job and stay alive. Even the way Sink made it sound, though he might have been coming from a good place, made me think that he didn't have enough faith or enough of a good sense of hope in our unit. I wondered if there were others like him, doubting me and my unit and what we could do for them. If only we could shut them all up, at least I wondered if we could.

I could see some of the children that were singing in the choir ring out their voices in the small chapel. They sounded hauntingly beautiful, none of us were making a sound just to let the sounds of their voices and the soothing rhythms of whatever song they were singing to us fill us and engulf us in peace. It made me forget and not realize that the doors to the chapel were opening,

I was sitting in the front, the rest of the girls were two rows behind me and scattered about as we all looked over and watched some of the Days company men coming into the small area now. No one was saying anything, no one moved from our end as we could see them trudging in, heaviness in their steps and the bitter cold on their faces. There they all were: Perconte being carried on Bull's back, Christenson, Liebgott, Malarky, and the officers including Spiers and Lipton.

It felt like I haven't seen their faces in years, though it's been maybe a week or so. When I left them last, they looked better than they did in front of me. And I knew I saw them earlier in the fight in Foy, but it was all a blur and I was more focused on the task at hand than reuniting with them. But it was good to see them again, to see some kind of familiarity there in that small church as they were coming in little bit little. I knew they saw me, as well as the rest of the girls and I could see some flicker of warmth back on their faces. Some of them were shocked to see us, other were still fatigued.

"Heya, Captain," Babe said to me with his happy tone, the cold was there all over his face and even in his hair. I grinned at him, finally getting up from the pew and standing there as the rest of the guys were standing there around me and the girls. I didn't know what to tell them, and they didn't say a whole lot either. We both were sitting in the silence because of the aftermath.

"You boys look alright," I said to them all, they all were quiet and some of them were nodding in agreement, It made me look at Malarky, seeing him with a beard coming in and the fatigue was all over his own body stance. I saw pain there, even with a small smirk there on his face from seeing me. I felt like I had more to say to him than the others because of what I heard happen to his close friends.

"I'm sorry to hear about Muck and Penkala," I reassured him, seeing him just nod his head and hold the straps of his jackets with his worn gloves, "They told me it happened right when I left."

"There was nothing anyone could do," He explained, the other having a twinge of pain from the memory of those two lost souls. I felt like I could say something else to make it easier, but nothing was coming out from me and it made me feel terrible. But it was O'Neal that spoke up on my behalf.

"You guys are still a good company," She said to him, her voice was tender and yet stern at the same time for him to remember that, "Honestly, there' no other company like you guys."

"Don't butter us up, we like you guys already," Luz commented to her now, a few chuckles were heard as Liebgott spoke up from his spot behind Luz.

"Glad you're back, Captain. We've missed ya," He said in a lazy kind of way, making me feel a smaller sense of warmth back in me from hearing that from him. It sounded genuine, unlike other times when it was like pulling teeth. But now we all heard some more footsteps coming into the chapel, making us all look to find more Easy members spilling into the chapel. I could some more of their faces, and there was one face that I instantly felt my stomach drop to the floor.

Eugene. He was okay.

He had fatigue all over his own face as he was walking in with another medic at his side, some blood on his hands and a bit on his sleeves and he locked eyes with me too. He stopped walking, the others passing him and not thinking about it as we were staring at each other. The rest of the group was filling into the pews and sitting in silence while I was finding myself walking over to him, it felt like gravity was the cause of it or something else that was deep within me. I thought of his voice in my head for constant hours on end while we were apart, I could see him in my mind when I would fall asleep and try to think of nicer things.

I was standing in front of him before I knew it, the other Easy members were sitting now in silence and there was nothing else that was heard in the whole chapel except for the children singing in a haunting way. We were watching each other, studying the lines and the marks on each other's faces that are both familiar or fresh. I could see more weariness on his own face, but his mostly looked the same at the same time. His dark hair poking out all over the place since his own helmet was tucked underneath his arm and his dark eyes were watching me in a sudden realization that we both were together again. What was I going to say to him? Why was I scared to talk to him?

"You're okay," He stated, his accent thick and low which made my own skin feel hot all over since it felt like a long time since I really heard his voice, no longer in my head but now in front of me. I gave him a small smile, not able to move since it would feel wrong to hug him in front of the others who were just trying to read and have some kind of peace in their lives. But God I wished I could hug him at least, it would be enough to bring me more strength at the end of the day.

The thought never crossed my mind on how I was becoming more and more dependent on a person, becoming more lovestruck than logical. How did this happen, how did it sneak up on me? He was just a person that I grew close to, not just with a friendship but with a need for safety and a need of normalcy in this chaotic war.

"You're okay too," I replied calmly back to him, seeing a small smile there from his face from what I told him. It made me think that I wanted to really just be alone with him and talk with him, which spurred me into walking past him and grabbing his arm to pull him along. He came with me without a pull or resistance, the pair of us going to the front of the church and opening the door. The cold burst of wind hitting the both of us hard as I turned the corner, his hand slipping into my own hand now since we were both now alone with anyone there to see us this close. I didn't care at that point, I just needed some time with him and him alone.

I guided us over to the side of the church, the cold brick walls of the church brushed against my side since I was staying so close to the wall in case we were going to be seen. When I saw we were far enough away from people I moved to stand in front of him and I breathed out a sigh of relief when he squeezed my hand far too tight and he pulled me into a hug before I could make my own move to hug him. It was a bone crushing hug, almost a bit too tight but secure enough for me to hug him back. It felt so good to jus be around him again, which was beyond silly for me to think like that. I was a Goddamn Captain, and he was making me resort to acting like a teenager with her long lost love.

Was that what this was?

"I was worried," I said to him in a harsh whisper against the cold as we were still embracing each other, "When I got word what happened back there."

"It's okay," He reminded me as he rubbed my arm there soothingly while he pulled away slightly to get a good look at me. I could see the new lines there, along with some paleness there on his face compared to before. He's been in the snow for far too long.

"You look pale, _Chere_ ," I said out of the blue since it was making me nervous how he was looking more wired with the bones, maybe with a lack of eating of eating and it made me wonder what was the case for that.

"The snow does that," He reminded, almost cracking a joke as I grinned at him slightly, seeing him reach out to touch a part of my face, "You look worn too." I grasped his fingers that were against my cheeks, lacing our fingers very gently together and feeling the pads of his fingers against my palm. It was calming, after briefly looking at each other to see how the other was doing. But it was good enough for me to just see him there and see that he was alive and well.

"You goin' on any more missions?" He asked me, not wanting to sound way too curious but I could tell he was. I shook my head.

"Not right now. You're stuck with me," I almost said it in a teasing way as I saw a small sense of relief there on his face. I was glad to not be away from him either. There was already too much time away from each other's company. I didn't want to just have him in my head, as desperate as it sounded, I needed to physically see him. Not in a thought of devotion or pure madness, but just to keep my now head in check that he was alive and that he was okay.

Eugene saw me thinking to myself, the thoughts were playing over and over in my head as he framed my face gently with his cold fingers and his face was back in medic mode. My mind was not slowing down, even with his company since I was once again thinking back to my rank and what was at stake.

"You alright?" He asked me, clearly noticing how I was looking less of myself with the confidence and swagger that I would harbor when I was in my role. I didn't need to have him worry about me or what I was going through, he had plenty of others to fuss over and to protect since he was the medic. I wasn't going to be on that list when I knew I had another thing to worry about.

I nodded my head in reply, not saying anything as he slowly gave me a small smile, maybe not convinced of my answer but he was not going to push it. I was thankful, even when he leaned in and gave me a cold kiss and had me sigh against him.

I was thankful we were reunited.

* * *

February 1945

Haguenau, France

Things were moving around and they were moving fast.

For one, the men were different, very different.

Since the start of that morning when we were in that small town, David Webster came back to Easy after being away for so long. Since he was shot back at the crossroads months before and was sent to a host pail, he missed out on the cold and plenty of other things up until this point. He looked fresh, too fresh competed to the others that were just trying to breathe and get on with the day and what was lying. I knew I was glad to see him, as some of the girls from Black Mamba since he was courteous to them, but some of the other men in Easy weren't so kind. In fact, it was as though he was treated as if he was lower than dirt. it was odd, odd and saddening.

I was in one of our meeting spaces that used to be a grand parlor room of some kind, the remains of some kind of chandelier was still intact to the almost crumpled ceiling above us, the wallpaper was slowing coming off the walls, and the smell of dirt and moisture from the rain and snow was all over the place. The rest of Black Mamba was resting up and staying in their own rooms away from Easy since we were assigned to stay with them for the time being until we were needed elsewhere.

Even my own heart and state of mind was hardening, and they could all see it. Mutterings and grumblings were going around not only with men from Easy but with other companies of my leadership as Captain and what I was doing. At first, I was letting it roll off my shoulder, but even the best Captain would have to break sometimes, and I wondered when that was going to be me.

Lipton, worn from pneumonia that was taking over his body, plumped down on a lounge chair as George Luz walked over to him with a cigarette stuck out of his mouth and a piece of paper to hand to Lipton. Webster was in the doorway, taking off his own helmet as Luz saw him with his cheeky grin and floppy hair over his eyes. As for me, I was sitting next to Lipton with my own head swimming in thoughts.

"Look who it is. Nice digs, huh Web?" Luz asked Webster in amusement.

"Yeah," Lipton agreed.

"Sgt. Lipton?" Webster asked the officer as Luz was bringing over a blanket for Lipton, 'Felling all right?"

"There you go. He's got pneumonia." Luz explained as he threw the thick army blanket over Lipton, whom as trying not to get his paper wrinkled from the action. I even jerked away a bit not to get hit by the blanket, now Luz giving me an apologetic look, "Sorry Captain."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Webster stated in a low manner.

"What are you sorry about? He's alive, he's got a couch, a goddamn blanket. He's just as a bug," Luz explained in a rushed manner and with his own smirk while he walked away from the both of us. Lipton looked over at me with his sad eyes, having me die him a small smile and nod my head to show I was rooting for him too.

"Sgt. Malarky said to check with the CO if I should be in 2nd platoon," Webster informed Luz, now Lipton speaking up next to me and from his lounging position on the couch.

"Have a seat, Webster. We'll get you situated." Lipton explained, then motioning to me, "You remember Captain Bellerose from Black Mamba?"

"You're Captain now…ma'am?" He asked, then addressing me properly but was still shocked as I nodded my head with my soft smile at him.

"Since December, Webster," I answered, seeing him think about it in his head and then having it all click. He was quiet about it, but the look on his face was enough for me to tell him bluntly, "Captain Josephine was killed in battle out in Bastogne. I run Black Mamba now and we're helping Easy from here on out."

"We're grateful they're here with us. Bellerose is doing a damn good job leading them," Lipton said in agreement, his voice sounding proud of what he said about us and I just smiled. Compliments were hard to come by when it came to me and my leadership, but Lipton was one of the rare few that was not afraid to dish out compliments.

Bombs were scattered and heard throughout the outside of the building we were in as Webster plopped down in his chair by the piano in the corner, still looking lost and out of place.

"How long have you been sick?" Webster asked Lipton out of pure curiosity.

"Long enough," Lipton smoothly replied with a grumble in his own voice. I felt bad for him, being bedridden and not able to help out with his men. I was about to say something in his defense when someone walked through the propped door, all of us were looking. It was a different person, one we haven't seen before and he too looked fresh and new to the whole atmosphere. Helmet on his head and his pack on his shoulder, he walked in and almost looked a bit lost himself before he finally looked over at Lipton.

"Is this the company CP for Easy?" He asked Lipton, who was propping himself up a bit now to address the new person. Webster stood up, along with the other Easy member in the corner who was arranging things in a box.

"Yes, sir," Lipton replied, which made me look at the new guy and saw that he was a lieutenant. But I stayed still next to Lipton, not saying a word.

"As you were. Lt. Jones, looking for Captain Spiers." He replied as Webster sat back down and Lipton spoke up for him again. The man, Jones, briefly looked over at me before he looked at Lipton.

"He's on his way, sir. Why don't you sit down," Lipton offered as Jones walked over to the Chair that was next to me. Lipton talked to another soldier that was behind us then, "Can you grab me a coffee? Want a coffee sir?"

"No, thank you," Jones replied as he sat down. I could tell Webster was eyeing him up and down hill Jones was getting settled with his bag on the floor and his rifle now off his back, almost trying to find out more about him without saying a single word. Hell, I was doing it too, and he seemed too clean to be here with us. Call me judgmental.

"Captain?" Lipton asked me now.

"Yes, please," I replied, Jones now looking at me with more intrigue since my title was brought up.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you. Sir, this is Captain Bellerose. She leads the Black Mamba unit from the Special Operations unit of the Airborne Infantry. Black Mamba's been with us since D-Day," Lipton explained as Jones looking at me, almost up and down now as I was staring right back at him without moving or showing any kind of weakness. He looked intimidated by me new since I was a Captain, did he think I was lower than a Captain?

"Black Mamba's reputation is well known throughout the regiment. I heard that it was Captain Josephine that was running Black Mamba," Jones commented, even with him trying to sound as casual as he could and yet he was trying to get the real answer out of me. There was a shift in the air, everyone in the room was feeling it and I saw both Lipton and Webster watching me carefully to see my own reaction. How was I supposed to react when it sounded like someone was trying to get a rise out of me. I breathed out through my nose, my eyes directly on him and not moving an inch as I finally spoke up with my voice staying level.

"She fell in Bastogne to the enemy, I took over as the acting Captain."

He said nothing as I answered him then, which used the next person to be walking into the room at that point with a clock in his hand and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Captain Spiers. He briskly walked in as Jones shot up to stand at attention and Lipton spoke up once again.

"Captain Spiers, sir. This is ..uhh…Lieutenant Jones," Lipton introduced, but he was instantly shot down by a scolding Spiers as he pointed to Lipton.

"Listen, for Christ's Sake, will you go back in the back and sack out? There are some beds back there with fresh sheets."

"I will sir. Just trying to make myself useful, sir," Lipton tried to reason with him as he was about to let up on the couch. I placed my hand on his shoulder, Lipton looking over at me and I smiled.

"It's okay, I'll help you in a second," I reassured him calmly as Winters then walked into the room with Nixon right behind him almost like an obedient puppy. Winters looked like he had a lot on his mind then, ruffling his red hair and almost looking off in a daze while he finally spoke up.

"Listen up. Regiment was patrol for prisoners," Winters explained.

"This one comes from Cornel Sink so…its not my idea," Nixon added to the explanation.

"Since the river is the main line of resistance, we're going to have to cross it to get to them." I got up from my spot when he said that to the group, walking over to Spiers and seeing Spier keep his eyes on both Nixon and Winters, his game face was already on and alert.

"What do we need to do?" Spiers asked, having em listen and not say a word.

"There's a three-story building on the enemy side, up the embankment. We know it's occupied, and you can have 15 men. Think very hard about who you want to lead the patrol. You'll need a lead scout, a translator, and we got the entire battalion on covering fire." Winters explained.

"When?" I asked, chiming in.

"Tonight. 0100," Winters answered for me, "Black Mamba is requested to help, Cornel SInk's orders. However he only wants just a few of your soldiers to come along for backup, and the rest stay here with the battalion. Think hard of who you're going to send across the river, and I would advise no one of high ranks…we can't risk losing an officer."

"Yes, sir," I replied to him, seeing Winters look at Spiers now.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yes sir," Spiers answered, looking at the ground and already contemplating in his mind.

"Spiers? Bellerose?" We both looked up at Winters as he was giving us some kind of sincere look then since he was leading the battalion and he was no longer active like he was before, "I want this to be as foolproof and as safe as humanly possible."

"Yeah don't take any chances on this one. We're too far along for that," Nixon commented as well, and I could hear the sincerity there in his tone. They both wanted this to be perfect, nothing going wrong or going out of place. I would too since this was way too risky of a mission and not so simple.

I then looked over at Spiers. it felt like we both needed to have some kind of talk as to what we were going to do tonight on the patrol and how we were going to handle it. I wanted to pick his brain and see what was in there in hopes that we would be successful, but in how he was looking and standing, it was not feeling easy about it. I was in the same boat as Nixon went over to talk to Jones.

"Who are you?" Nixon asked him as Winters and Spiers were talking together in a hushed way. I slowly walked over there, but I kept my eyes on the pair of men that were meeting each other.

"Lieutenant Jones, sir."

"Right, our West Pointer," Nixon commented as he eyed him up and down with amusement, "When did you graduate?"

"June 6th, sir."

"June 6th? Of last year?"

"D-Day, yes, sir." Nixon gave a small laugh when he said this while Winters was walking over to me now, "All right, don't get hurt."

"Bellerose, a word please?" Winters asked me as I walked with him a bit farther away now and Jones was left there to the small talk of Spiers and Lipton who were already trying to get a plan together.

Winters and I were alone now a bit away from the group, having me wonder what was on his mind.

"What are your thoughts on who you're going to take?" He asked me, having me shift from one foot to another with a bit of anxiety.

"I have a few popping in my head. Jameson's our second sniper, O'Neal's a good tracker and all." I trailed off, knowing what I really wanted to ask him but I had no real heart to do it. He saw it o my face, his own face looking a bit concerned now since I wasn't talking anymore.

"Bellerose?" He asked, having me bit my lip now and stare at him right in the eye.

"Was it Cornel SInk's order to not send Officers in my unit?" I asked him straight forward, seeing him think for a brief moment.

"Not his, but my own," I gave him a quizzed looked,"After what happened to Josephine in Bastogne, I don't want to risk having another officer be lost here in the war. We're short on commanders as if is, and it would be risky to lose anymore," he paused, seeing my own face and now it was clicking in his head, "You're going to want to go out there yourself, aren't ya?"

"I don't want another soldier under my command to be lost," I explained to him calmly now, seeing him watch me as I was now talking about what was going on with me and my unit, "We're already having plenty of eyes on us, and those eyes are ready to see us falter once. I don't want that."

"And neither does Easy or this whole battalion for that matter," Winters said in agreement.

"It's not right for me to say something out of line when it comes to our leaders, but I need you to know that there is more at stake for Black Mamba than there is for Easy, sir. Our necks are goin' to be exposed and in the right moment, we will be sent home," I explained to him carefully, not as a warning to him since it would be out of line. But it was more of him being aware, aware that I was having way too much at stake because of my rank and because of who we were in the army. One false move, and I was going to be in so much trouble. But I would rather have that on my shoulders than on my soldier's shoulders and in her hearts. They didn't deserve it, that kind of responsibility. They were along for the ride, it was me that was going to take the fall whether I was ready for it or not.

"Captain," Winters said to me in his sincere tone, making me look at him now with worry on my face, "It's your decision since technically you're not under my command in the battalion. I do a advise you, to make the right choice."

What was the right choice anyhow?

* * *

After we both left the building to walk over to the set of abandoned buildings that Easy and Black Mamba was in, Speirs was walking next to me and was in the same step, his eyes dead ahead and I was rethinking that whole situation with Easy and Black Mamba. It was not going to be a good set of news to tell the others, I was not liking forward to it.

"What's your opinion on the decision for Easy and Black Mamba?" Spiers asked me out of the blue, having me not say anything for a moment or two.

"It's a practical decision, one that both Easy and Black Mamba can handle with ease and the right precision," I replied, seeing him still look ahead but something was on the back of his mind. It was like he didn't like what I told him, he didn't like the answer. We were still walking together in since down the crumbled path and seeing, out in the gray and wet distance, the small island that we were about to embark on within that very night.

"Is that your professional answer, Captain?" he asked then.

"Did you want it professional or personal?" I countered back, seeing him finally slow and I did the same. I felt like I was playing some kind of word game with him since he was trying to get some kind of answer out of me that I wasn't ready for or that I didn't want to admit. We both were standing there, drinking in both what we were just told and what we were about to do. As a Captain, I had to think logically, to think of what was going to lie ahead and what will be helpful for the others in Black Mamba. But then again, the personal side of me was seeing red flags all over his plan. This was not a good idea, I could see that things could go wrong and to loose more of my comrades, more lives being lost was not going to go well within my own gut.

"Personal," He answered, his voice was not stern but sounding more sincere and leveled at the same time. I took in my own shaky breath, thinking of the best way to tell him what I was really feeling without stepping out of bounds.

"It's a suicidal mission, it's too much of a risk for the men and the women that we have," I explained as I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked away from him briefly and back to the small island where I could see our target that night, "Even if we do get boats and we take the best men out there, we're taking much bigger of a risk on this mission than others in the past."

"You don't think we can handle the mission, Captain?" He asked me now, seeing the concern on my face and how I was more shifty than still.

"No, Captain. I think this is a mission that could go wrong, even with the precise planning that we are capable. but there's nothing that we can do about now, can we?" I asked, hearing nothing from him now since I brought that between us. At least he knew what was on my mind and what was going to hold me back, "Is there anything else?"

"No…no there isn't Captain," he replied calmly now, having me nod my head, "I'll get the men notified since they're coming into town now."

"I'll do the same with Black Mamba, and I'll come back to plan it with you in 3 hours due time," I explained as I got my hands out of my pocket again and moved my hair from my eyes to watch him. He was cool and calm, already thinking of the plan behind his eyes and moving the pieces around mentally. I saluted him once before I moved away from him, walking down the road and already trying to remind myself that we had a job to do, we were meant to do this and there was no other way out of it. I wanted there to be, I wanted to get both the men and the women out of there in one piece and never to look back.

But that was lost.


	22. Chapter 22

"Who are you going to send in there?" O'Neal had to ask the infamous question for me as I was standing around a small table with Black Mamba watching me, standing next to me the whole time and looking right at me as I was analyzing the small map that we had of the area, the small dot on the map was the island we were about to go out into that very night. After I had my talk with both Winters and Spiers, I knew what I was about to tell the others there in that room was not going to go over very well.

"I'm sending out three, Easy is going to send out fifteen," I explained, slowly looking up at each of them. I hated looking at them like that, seeing the plenty of months and days out on missions there etched into their skins and engraved into their souls. They no longer were youthful, even with some of the features remaining the same. But lines, wrinkles and some scars were placed there along their cheeks and under their eyes, on the knuckles of their hands, and even against our skulls from the blows that tried to kill us. We were still standing, but for how long?

"I'm sending in O'Neal….Jameson…and myself." I could see each of their eyes going big from what I told them. No one moved for a few seconds before I saw O'Neal about to erupt with anger there on her face and in her voice.

"You out of your mind?" She asked me in an unconvinced tone that was trying so hard not to shriek.

"No way in hell," Straton argued in agreement.

"You can't go," Harper said, all of them were arguing at one time for me, against me going in one of their places on this mission that could go horribly wrong. I didn't want this, but I knew this kind of reaction would come out sooner or later. I stood up straight, no longer hunched over the table and they all went quiet, knowing that I was about to speak to them. It was quiet, having me look at each of them and then point to the map.

"This mission is a touch and go mission, nothing more and nothing less. I am sending Jameson as a spare sniper and O'Neal as a tracker for them," I explained calmly.

"And you?" O' Neal asked me, having me see the anger there on her face for not just being sent to go out on this mission, "You're our Captain. You're not supposed to be out there with us,"

"Am I not?" I challenged her, keeping my head leveled and my own tone low instead of yelling. They were not saying anything now, thinking it over and over as to another way that we could do this would be being out there in the crossfire.

"I will not let this unit lose another soldier while I'm still breathing. We've come too far to have another casualty.," I said to them, clutching the map there briefly within my fingertips.

"You think we want to lose our Captain?" Straton asked me timidly.

"You think this mission won't work?" I asked her back, not in a way to call her out but in a curious fashion.

"I think missions are never perfect, even with us," Harper reasoned, "Even our missions had a few snares here and there. But this one is the biggest snare of it all because it involves our very Captain."

"I would rather go out there than any of you. You've been beyond good soldiers to be killed," I verified with them, but they were still willing to argue with me on this one. If only they saw this as I saw this: I would rather lose my now life than any of them losing their own. They had more of a future than I did, compared to me where I had nowhere else to go after this war. I would rather go out in this war knowing that I did something to help with our cause than to go back to a place where Knew I wasn't loved to accepted. I was accepted here, as much as someone would think they were accepted. But with my family, they already told me how they felt about me doing this. All because I went against their wishes and want they wanted for me.

Was there to go back to?

"Captain," O'Neal said in a grave tone, having me watch her and she was watching me and seeing the uneasiness there on my own face, "Permission to spread freely?"

"Of course," I replied, feeling like she should say was was on her mind. We were close as friends and soldiers, even from the beginning when we were in training together. I got her more than the others, with her brash behavior but a good heart and good work ethic.

"I get you're still trying to prove yourself…after us losing Captain Josephine," She started, and as I shifted to tell her that it was not true she held out her hand to me to stop me from going on. I stopped, wanting her to say what she had to say, "I get it, we all get it. it still hurts that she's not here, and she was a damn good Captain. But we can't lose you too. You carried us this far, and you're a damn good Captain in your own right."

"If Josephine was alive, she would say the same," Stanton said in agreement, the others were nodding their heads. I looked at each of them, seeing the truth in their stance and in how they were just willing to roll over on this decision that I was making.

"In the past we would vote on what would happen on a mission, on who gets to go, right?" O'Neal asked me, the breath living my lips and the next sentencing coming out of my mouth before I could register.

"This time no vote. I say this is how it goes, and that's what it will be."

* * *

"Who are you sending in, ma'am?" Malarky asked me as we were walking together over to the Easy company quarters where some of the men were sleeping. After I talked with Black Mamba and left what seemed to be some kind of sour note with them since I practically told them their voices did not matter to me when it came to some kind of vote, I needed some air to think about what I was really placing on my own shoulders. I knew where the others in Black Mamba were coming from, I knew they were worried about losing another Captain with months after losing Josephine. I could feel it too, the fear and the uncertainty. But I still had to place my Captain role in front of my own personal soldier mode.

It was sucky.

"Myself, Jameson and O'Neal," I answered, seeing him look over at me now with a hint of fear in his face when I mentioned myself in that sentence. It was making me wonder why everyone else was afraid for my own safety. It felt odd being the center of attention, the people were watching my every move and whether if I was going to stand on a land mine or come out victorious. As for me, it felt like the first option.

"You think that's risky, sending you in when you know there are others that can go instead?" He asked me, having me slow my walk there in the hallway and he did the same, already seeing the uneasiness there on my face in what he said to me. He sighed, looking hesitant now as he watched me there in the hallway. I studied his face: the scrawny figure he had, a bear coming in to cover some of his face that looked so young before shit went down, and the haunted look of lost because of the death of Muck and Penkala. He's been through too much.

"I'm sorry…that was out of line, ma'am." He said to me as he was now trying to make it better. But I shook my head as I gave him a short smile.

"It's okay, Malarky," I reassured him calmly, seeing him watch me hesitantly, "You're not the only one that's worried about me."

"You're a good enough Captain, we just don't want to lose you," Malarky reasoned, having em hear that he was sincere when he said it, keeping his voice low as we saw two soldiers walking past us, both of who were watching me now and seeing some kind of hesitance there behind their eyes. It was like they knew something about me that I didn't even know about.

"I'm just doing my job," I responded to him in my own soft voice, "This is the just play out for the mission, not only for Black Mamba but for the rest of Easy. I need to be on the island." He said nothing, but I saw his eyes drift over to someone behind me, having me look in the same direction as well to see who he was looking at, or what. But as soon as I saw who it was, my own breath was lost since this was going to be beyond tough to tell him.

Eugene. Oh, Shit.

* * *

"You're goin' on the island," he stated as we were standing next to each other, side by side in an abounded room on that same floor I was talking with Malarky. He left the both of us alone, since the look on Eugene's face was enough for him to know that I needed to talk to him alone. Thankfully, like the rest of the group in both Black Mamba and Easy, he had no idea that Eugene and I were close. It was how it was supposed to be: even at times I wished it would just be the two of us and nothing else was in the way. We both have been far too busy to just be around each other, and it pained me.

"I chose to, yes," I replied as he was watching me like a hawk as I was pacing the room with my arms folded in front of me and my head was going through the mission over and over in my head. I could tell he was not liking this idea of me going out there. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was really thinking and if he was really okay with this whole thing. If I knew seeming about Eugene, he was not afraid to voice what bothered him. I wanted to know what was on his mind in that moment, I really did.

He finally sighed, rubbing his face with his dirty hands and he said nothing, which made me more worried since he was never this quite before, not when we were alone together.

"You askin' for a death wish?" The way he said it, it made me take a step back since it sounded so cruel coming from him. I felt like he was punching me hard once in the chest, beyond hard to have me lose my breath and almost feel betrayed at the same time. He would be the one who would bring me back on earth and bring me back some sanity. But this was different, this was a different Eugene that I never encountered before and that scared me.

"What?" I asked him, not getting it at first. He finally looked right at me, having me see what he was feeling right then and there as we were staring at each other in that cold dusty room. He was feeling betrayal, he was feeling confusion, and the worst of it all: hurt. He was hurt.

"You wanna die out there?" He asked me, keeping his voice down since the walls were so thin and people could hear us. I could also hear the twinge of pain in his own voice when he said that to me like he was wielding a double-edged sword and it was hurting me from hearing this kind of talk from him.

"I want to protect Black Mamba from anyone else being hurt," I tried to explain to him as he took a few steps over to me now, already showing me that I overstepped something from that last sentence.

"And that means you get to go out there and get killed?" He asked me now with a bit of venom there in his voice.

"I'm not going to be killed!" I argued.

"Says who? You don't know," Eugene countered back at me.

"I've been pretty damn careful so far in this war, Eugene. You of all know that" I muttered at him since this conversation as going south real quick.

"It can take one false move and you're screwed."

"You don't think I can handle a simple island mission? Eugene, I've dealt with worse missions than this—" I explained but he shot me off with a shake of his head.

"That's not the point! You're way too reckless and selfish, and you don't care!" He hissed it out, but it was loud in my own ears like he was saying it right in front of me and yelling it to the world. Selfish…such a simple word that dug into me and made my heart hurt. I would never think he would be the one that would call me that, I never saw that coming and it made me freeze there in the middle of the floor and look down at the ground. How could he do that? A person that I trusted would call me selfish when I thought in my own mind I was protecting my own group from being killed. I knew what I was doing was a bit dangerous, but for him to think that was selfish.

I heard nothing from him, and I was glad since I felt one tear escape from the corner of my eye and I swiped it before he could say anything to me. Maybe I was selfish, maybe I was only thinking of myself and not about the others and what they were thinking. But of course, I had to hear it from someone whom I cared about, even whom I loved. In that moment I didn't even want him near me or be near anyone or anybody. The mirror was thrown right in front of me to see who I was really was.

Selfish.

I moved away from him then, over to the door without saying a word to him. I could hear him move a few steps then, almost too quick like he was afraid I was going to be gone forever. Maybe I should be gone forever, hearing something like that from him was enough for me to second guess what I was doing.

"Olive…wait please," He begged as I threw the door open and walked out of the door and away from him. I made a brisk escape down the hallway and over to the set of stairs that were descending down to the first floor. As I walked over, I passed the few other rooms that some of the other men were staying in. One of them was Babe, seeing me walk past in a fast manner without acknowledging him and he wiped his head over to Eugene, who I could see out of the corner of my eye as I stomped down the stairs standing outside the room we were talking in.

"Doc, what the hell happened?"

I was asking the same thing in my head.

* * *

"So who's in charge of this bullshit?"

I walked into the room, taking off my helmet as I entered the dining room that was set up and I could see most of the Easy Men already sitting around what seemed to be the massive dining room table, some feet propped up and others were against the wall since there wasn't any more room. I instantly passed Lieutenant Jones, seeing him eye me and give me a short salute as it was custom, but the others sat still in their chairs and in her spots on their feet. I didn't want to say a single, word to just get through this briefing for tonight and get out of there before anything else was said and or anything else would tick me off.

They all saw me, no one moved and no one said a word now as they too were confused as to who was going to run this mission for Easy. I looked at each of their faces, seeing the grave looks there too now as finally, Liebgott spoke up. From the look on his face, he wasn't going to have this conversation be pleasant.

"Take it you're leadin' Easy tonight, Captain?" Joe asked me, his voice gravely and a bit too much for me now as I shifted from on foot to another. I saw Babe out of the corner of my eyes, instantly seeing the look of concern there on his face since he saw my blow up with Eugene some time before. Great.

"I'm going over there, yes," I replied back to him, some of the others in the room tilted their head at me and almost not sitting right with that thought as Liebgott eyed me, analyzing me himself.

"You wanna go over there?" He asked me in a scoffed manner.

"Don't do it, Joe," Grant warned him in a low tone, but Joe's eyes were still on me.

"You don't think I should?" I asked him, taking a step over to him now and keeping my trained eyes on him alone. I could tell he was testing me, and he was already the testy type, and this was going to be one of those moments when I knew he was going to push, "I'll assume you know the best decision for me as a Captain then,"

"Better than sacrificing yourself with the rest of us over there on that island," Joe said in a almost vicious way, Grant sitting up a bit and looking over at him now like he was beyond crazy to talk to me in that way, "If you're tryin' to get in our good graces help us, it ain't working. You gals have done enough for us and makin' us look good. "

"Shut up, Liebgott," Webster said in a low blow, Joe instantly looking at him with daggers in his eyes.

"You gonna stop me, Webster?" He asked in a cruel way.

"Joe, you need to back off," Grant wanted him as well as I finally spoke up.

"It's not my fault that they want Black Mamba with you boys. Apparently, they are already thinking us as extra baggage here in the army and after this mission, we're probably going to be sent home," Liebogtt shot a look over at me, still short but somehow some of the anger was gone from his face because of the information I was sending him.

"They are waiting for my unit to fail at least once, and once that happens, you don't have to worry about us anymore. So, if you have any other bright idea as to why I should be the one staying behind and not sending out one of my own, now would be a great time to speak up," I wanted him in a bold tone, no one moving there and they were stunned with what I told them. I didn't think any of them knew what was going on behind the scenes with the other officers and their talk about my unit. Now it was exposed, and they knew what was at stake with my unit.

"Shit," Rameriez said under his breath as he hesitantly looked away from me, Babe looked at Grant with concern as to what was going to come next, Grant was lost in his own thoughts and Webster was giving me puppy dog eyes, he felt it too. Joe, being the silent one that he is, bit his lower lip.

"Ten-hut!"

"Jesus," Liebgott grumbled as we all stood at attention with Winters and Johnny Martin coming into the room.

"At ease," Winters commanded, the rest of the boys sitting back down easily, "Gentlemen, as you can see we've assembled 15 of you for this prisoner snatch tonight, 0100. Black Mamba us going to have three of their own, including Captain Bellerose here, to come along as a scout, sniper and extra eyes for Martin," I looked over at Winters as he was saying this, not lying attention to Joe as he was watching me then.

"We've secured four rubber boats to get you across the river. Lieutenant Jones here is the ranking officer. He'll be along as an observer," I took a quick glance at Jones, who seemed already out of placed amongst the rest of the men.

"Sergeant Martin will lead the patrol in Malarky's place and Bellerose will help him for Black Mamba. The whole battalion will cover your withdrawal. We're identified targets, planned fire. We hear the whistles, we open up. Don't blow them until you're back in the boats with the prisoners."

"And if the house turns out to be empty sir?"

"It won't, but in any case we know it's an outpost and we want it destroyed. So you have to lay some demo on a time delay. We have to move fast, but carefully. Put a perimeter around the house," For some reason I was tuning out what he was telling Easy and Sergeant Martin and I was thinking to myself and what I told Liebgott and those boys moments before. It felt like everyone was not liking my thought to be out there with the men on the island, and I still couldn't understand as to why that was the case. From what I have felt so far, they were concerned about me, but they had a funny way to show it. I was mostly thinking about my own team and how they had a chance to live. Maybe I was missing something there in the translation.

"That's my team sir," Martin said to Winters, whom finally looked over at me now.

"And your's Captain?" He asked me, all of the eyes were on my once again.

"Jameson as Sniper back with the assault team here on land, O'Neal as a tracker and myself as the sniper there on the island," I explained, winters still reading me to make sure I was making the right choice. Even Martin was a bit surprised, but she nodded his head finally and Winters looked back at the group.

"Questions? Good, good luck. Bellerose, walk with me so you and Martin can talk," I moved after Winters said this, the three of us leaving the room. I was glad to be out there since it felt like the whole rim was sucking the life out of it, including me. I waited behind for a second to re-tie my boot, Martin and Winters already walking away and leaving me there at the edge of the room and out of sight from the boys in there.

"Be glad Winters or Martin did hear ya talk to Bellerose like that, " Shifty said in a soft warning, mostly to Liebgott.

"You think it's true? Black Mamba could be going home if this doesn't work?" Alley asked in curiosity, his voice sounding a bit off about the thought, "They didn't do anything wrong."

"That's fucked up," Babe grumbled with pain in his voice.

"You didn't have to be a dick to her, Joe. I thought you two were tight as friends," Grant pointed out. I heard nothing from Joe and it made me stand up and walk away from them. The mission was what I needed to focus on, not the grumblings of others and what they thought of me. Even from those whom I thought I could count on, like Joe or Eugene for that matter.

They didn't matter. Not that night.

* * *

It was one of the colder nights, everything was still and the sluggish snows was all over the ground as we were approaching the river bank. There were a few search light out and about on the island, four boats along the side of the river with a single rope that was tied to a tree on the island.

"No sign of any AP mines," I snagged the last boat, O'Neal going in before me and a few of the Easy members, including Garcia. Cobb, Sisk, Jones and Webster were in the boat at the very end. O'Neal got in the front, staying low to the ground with her hair tied back in a ponytail and a braid for her bangs. Mine was the same since we were briefed to only the what we needed, keeping it real light. We didn't even have helmets, but we both had our bandanas over our mouths and over our heads with a light cover while O'Neal got her hands on the rope, already started to pull us with me behind her and Garcia behind me.

"Keep it steady, keep it steady," Martin said to the group as we were moving along slowly against the quiet riverfront. We were doing fine for a few moments before we heard a small splash, all of us looking behind and seeing Cobb and Garcia go down in the water.

"I can't swim!"

Cobb was dragged to shore by Sisk and Garcia, Jones and Webster were still moving along with us since we had no choice but to keep going. It took another minute before we reached the shore of the island, finally getting out of the boats and crawling over to where we knew the edge of the territory was. Easy was working on the cutter to get through the fence as I was using my scope to look around for anything that would be out of the ordinary.

"Clear," I whispered as Martin got the fence were and they were crawling through one by one. O'Neal and I crawled with them spreading out and looking out for anyone that could be popping out as a hint of surprise. Martin was getting them upon two by two, though O'Neal and I were moving over to the side on the left and spreading out to make sure they Easy was covered. This had to be perfect, all the way down to how hard we were running and how fast.

"Keep an eye out for them," I hissed at O'Neal.

"Got it, Captain," She replied as she moved back a bit over to where Webster and the others were. I maneuvered, the cold air hitting my lungs in a bad way as I could see Martin behind a large pile of logs. They were all piling up right there, having me see Shifty and Wynn move away from Martin on his left and Lieutenant Jones moving to the right with Babe and Grant.

"Go with Powers and Wynn, go!" I ordered O'Neal seeing her branch out to the two that were trotting away while I lowered to squat next to Martin, "What's the plan now?"

"We fan out and find a spot there in that building behind us, see it?" He asked, having em crane my head over slightly to see the larger building that was nestled there on the island, quiet and with no movement at all. Webster, Rameriez and the younger Jackson were left there with us as Martin was up and moving. I stayed close behind him and we all followed the line over to the side of the building. We were creeping up on the stone wall that was holding it up, the first floor behind a floor up from the ground and once we were along the side we froze. Martin was prepping the gun he was going to use while I got my scope ready on my rifle. Once we were about to go int hat building, who knew what we were going to find, and all we needed were the prisoners.

We had to be careful. but that was already turning to shit.

Once the window the broken by Martin, Jackson moved before we could stop him. He was already halfway up the strip and was about to throw his grenade when another explosion went off and he busted into the door, an explosion going off in front of him and he fell to the ground while we were piling into the room. I saw him circling into himself, grasping his face and already I could see blood. Men were shooting, both in English and in German as guns were up and aiming at the prisoners.

This was bad.

"I'm cover the outside, get them out of here Martin," I said to him as he was looking at me in almost a state of shock. I was leaving him in there since he was capable of doing that on his own, He was more along the shock of me going back out there when we knew it was already going to hell in a hand basket.

"Captain!" he tried to argue, but I shook my head and cocked my gun.

"Now!" I ordered, moving back outside and hopping the ledge to and back in the snow. Gunfire was sprouting out on the island, some of them were from us and others were from the enemy. I moved over to the opening of the clearing and I could see some of the enemy moving in the darkness against the white of the snow. I shot back trying my best to move and shoot at the same cold was getting to my fingers and against my cheeks, but we had to get out of there before I could think of anything else besides the mission. I hated this mission, I hated that we were out int he cold with nothing really to protect us with our own wits. It was the horror and the reality of this war, we go where we were needed and we don't ask questions.

The men were coming out of the building, finally, the prisoners were with them and they were slowly trying to get them back to the boats. We were slower now with the constant firing from the name since they found us and heard us. I was making sure none of them got hurt as we were firing back and moving at the same time. The closer we got, the more firing was coming our way and the bigger the danger it was going to be. We needed to get out of there, and it needed to happen now.

"Go! Go go!" I heard the whistle go off, signaling the battalion on our side of the river started firing to aid and protect us. I looked around in a panic, wondering where O'Neal was since I haven't seen her since the split. She was up in the front, already in the first boat and helping the German prisoners inside and they were moving along.

One by one we were getting inside, Jackson was being carried by two others since he was critically wounded and trying to at least breathe. I made sure I was the last one in the boat, all of us moving off the island and over to the other side with the gunfire going off into the waters. It was shaking the whole earth, the boat was rocking from the massive shootings and we were close enough to hop out on the other side. I was still taking shots from the boat as they were coming out, climbing that one small hit that was close enough to hop over but far enough that they had to climb it. Jackson was dragged over the top while I hopped out, seeing more bullets flying over to us and I was trying to avoid that.

As soon as I was over the small hill, I could see they were taking Jackson to one of the buildings. Perconte was helping him as Spiers walked over to me now, his helmet on with more bullets flying around us, the threat was still way too high for us to calm victory. Something was off, I could feel it when Spiers came over to me.

"Where's Martin?"

I looked over my shoulder, thinking that he was still at the boats. I didn't see him, nor since I left him to go out from the house on the island Did he not come back with us? What happened to him? More people were yelling and screaming to get out of the way and more bullets were aiming right at us, but we were firing back from the battalion. I looked at the boats, but there as no sign of him.

But then I saw it. A ripple in the river. Shit…he was in the water.

"The water," I said over the fire, Spiers looking too. There was something happening in the water, about 60 feet away from us to the right and right in the middle of the river, directly below the rope. We waited, having me think that something else made me think that he was in there. But I saw it again, a gloved hadn't reached up from under the water to grab the rope but it failed. Someone inside of me told me to run, to run and jump in the water. if it was Martin, he was either going to be shot to death by the enemy or freezing to death from the cold. Either way, he was screwed and it felt like something was holding him down from coming to the surface.

He was in trouble, and that's when I moved without even thinking.

"What are you doing?" Spiers asked me as I threw down my rifle, taking off my heavier jacket, anything else that I knew was going too old me down I took it off and placed it in the snow.

"He's stuck under the water and I need to get him," I explained, moving the bandana from my face and my head now to feel my hair flowing out in the open cold hair as Spiers grabbed my arm there to stop me.

"It's suicide," He said to me on a brink of panic as I looked at him now with determination in my eyes.

"It's my job to protect you and your men. That's what I'm doing!" I knew it was stupid, I knew it was on the brink of being crazy as hell but if it was really Martin down there, I was not going to let him die. This was the stupidest thing that I was about to do, but I saw no other way around it. Another explosion went off near us, shaking the ground and having Spier's grip on my arm slip slightly. I moved out of his grasp, hearing him call out to me now as I broke into a run along the side of the river. over to where I saw Martin under the water. I saw a boulder along the side of the water where I boiled over, launching myself up in the air and dove right in the water.

It felt like I was being stabbed over and over.

The cold hit me all over to have me loose my breath, but I was swimming before I could even think, moving in a fast lightening speed over to where I thought Martin was. The water there was too dark at first, however, since the bullets were still firing I could see some flickers of light underneath the surface. Where was he?

That's when I saw him, struggling with something on his pant leg on the ground. He was about to lose breath when I swam to him, the look of panic on his face as I motioned for him to not make a sound or move.

His leg was stuck against one of the concrete pieces of the building and fell into the water, trapping him. I moved to grab the corner, getting my knife out from my pocket and getting ready to pick out his pants from the material that was holding him there. The breath in my lungs was thinning, which meant that I had to act quick. I was cutting through the materials of his pants, stopping once or twice for us to duck from the bullets that were flying into the water. But once he was freed, I help him move up to get him some air.

He gasped for air as well as I, the cold from the night hitting us twice as hard since we both were wet from the river and we tried to swim. My bones and muscles were already trying to retaliate against me, but I was fighting too hard to get back to the side of the river. I could hear Spiers screaming at the Battalion to keep firing.

"Cover them!" he ordered as I was grabbed Martin's jacket to hope him move a bit faster. We were so close to the end of the bank that I could taste the victory there on my lips. We both took a few more strokes with our almost failing arms, trying so hard to be fast when it happened.

I felt pain, sharp pain along my neck. I was wounded

I gasped out, releasing Martin and I saw him stopping as I looked to the sky, feeling the screeching intense sensation of ripping along my neck and shoulder engulfing me there in that moment in the river. It was as if a knife sliced my neck and left me there, unable for me to move my shoulders or my legs. I was frozen there gasping for air as I heard Martin scream out and grab my jacket in order to have me move in the freezing cold.

"Captain's been hit! She's shot!"


	23. Chapter 23

Everything was moving, and everything was cold. Beyond cold.

I could feel myself being moved from being outside into someplace that was only a wee bit wander, shouts were heard all around me as I could see the blurring of colors from the people around me. I knew those voices, but I couldn't voice them out to tell them that it was okay. The bullet wound on my neck and shoulder was enough for me to be feeling numb all over my body.

It was because I was shot.

"Keep your eyes on me, Captain! On me!" Spiers explained to me as he framed my cold face in his hands while I was placed on what might have been a kitchen table. It was cold underneath me, almost rickety as he was looking down at me from crouching over me. I saw the panic on his face, the pure panic as something was terribly wrong in front of him. There was something pressing against my neck too tightly, not to mention a good amount of stick moisture against my skin that was making me panic as I was blinking and at least trying to find my voice.

"Get the medic! Get Doc in here, now!" Spiers screamed out behind him as he looked back at me again.

"Where is she?! Where is she?!" I could hear O'Neal out in the background yelling from maybe outside the room I was in. I wanted to call out that I was fine, but the shivering that I was feeling was too much for me. I was afraid I lost my own voice from that shot against my neck, did I lose my voice? Someone threw the heavy door open, some of the men around me moved out of the way just in time for someone to look over at me gasping for air. I saw his vision in front of me, and it almost made me think I was looking at an angel. A pure angel, which jet black hair that reminded me of a tint of blue from the night sky.

Eugene trapped my face within his hands, Spiers, moving out of the way for him slightly as he was holding something against my neck near my wound. I saw in his eyes, the same look that I've only seen him use before when he was genuinely afraid. But something else was there too in his blue eyes: fear. Genuine fear that I was going to be lost to him. I could feel it against my skin since his fingers were literally shaking. I carefully and with a bit of strength that I had left, I reached over to grab his jacket that was close to me.

"Keep your eyes on me, okay?" He asked me, almost sounding like he was on the brink of panic, "I need my bag and I need some light and some room. Get a Goddamn blanket on her or she'll freeze to death," People were moving now, Talbert shooting out of the way now and brought back an army approved blanket to place over my chest and legs.

"How bad is it, Roe?" Spiers asked him now in hesitance as I could see someone now coming into the room as the others were being pushed out.

"What's happening to her?" It was O'Neal.

"You need to leave, lieutenant," Spiers explained.

"No, I stay here since I'm second in command of Black Mamba so I need to be in here and see if my Captain is alright," I could hear her about to start an argue with Spiers. Good thing I found my voice finally and was able to speak up in the moment as Eugene was handed his bag by Liebgott, who looked like he was about to be sick.

"O'Neal," I gasped out, everyone in the room was watching me and was in shock since I was speaking with blue lips and a chatter of my teeth, "Don't pick a fight. Go find the others."

"Hey," Eugene said to me, said he was calling me back from being so far away. I locked eyes with him again, his medical face was back there along with a hint of his own Eugene kind of stare, "Look at me and don't talk too much. You need your breath. Okay? I got ya," he started getting things out of his bag and was about to get to work.

"Doc," Spiers repeated, "I need to tell Major Winters something."

"It's a bit more complicated since it looks like of the bullet as a hair to the left, it would have hit an artery and she would have bled out," The pain was in his voice when he said it, the reality that I was almost lost from a stupid and yet heroic decision that I made on the fly. I could see O'Neal slowly leaving the room, hiding her face in her hands and it felt like she was trying so hard to control that scares that she wanted to roar out from what was going on.

"Is she gonna make it?" Spiers had to ask the infamous question as I felt more and more of my energy seeping out now, gasping for a huge breath before I could feel some more pain in my neck and the need to talk again.

"I'm not gonna let her die," Eugene said in almost a vow as I could feel him move my neck and my wound. I was trying to stay awake since I knew it would be life threatening if I closed my eyes. My whole body was still shaking, even after the blanket was placed on me and the room was three times as warm compared to being outside. Liebgott watched me from his spot near Talbert, and he was watching every move Eugene was doing. The way he was analyzing what was going on with me made me think that that fight we had before the mission never happened, that we were friends again.

"Shifty, go tell Winters what's going on," Spiers ordered the soldier as he bolted out of the room without a second thought.

"Stay awake for me, Olive. Look right at me," Eugene instructed me, the first time he used my first name with me in front of the others in Easy and Black Mamba. It was both soothing to hear him use my name like that, and yet terrifying since the others never knew my first name. It was so hard for me to stay awake for how warm I was feeling all over and how my neck was now feeling numb and no longer in pain. Did he give me morphine with me realizing and seeing? It felt like it because it felt like my vision was getting lighter and fuzzy like I was slipping into a dream. The cold was still under my skin almost near the top and trying to break the surface. I never thought I would experience this kind of cold before, not even in Bastogne. In Bastogne, I could go under one of the foxholes and beat away the cold with a blanket or two. But this cold, along with my wound against my neck, it was ten times as worse and it was almost giving me a headache from thinking about it since the cold was within my own head too.

"Hang on, Olive. I'm almost done, hang on, damn it!" Eugene hissed at me as I cold feel myself slowly slipping again, whether or not the morphine was doing it. I was scared that I was slipping, I wasn't content to go out like this. It wasn't like before when I was okay to be putting myself in danger because that mean my unit was safe. But now reality was settling in and it was making me nervous that I was going to die on the top of a table surrounded my men.

Eugene finally moved away from me, taking a step back and I felt nothing else there along my wound. No one moved as they were slowly watching Eugene breathe out slowly and unevenly. My body was still shivering, but not as bad as before thanks to the blanket that was draped over me. I could feel it working. Slowly I could feel myself coming farther away fro death and over to the side of life. I was spared.

I moved my eyes down to where his hands were, they were tainted red from my blood. Oh God, my own blood was on his hands and it was making me sick just thinking about it. He looked shook up, like something inside of him scared him beyond belief and he didn't know how to react or how to move on from here.

"Doc, you okay Doc?" Talbert asked him now in worry, watching him and seeing this for the first time from this medic. I was looking up at the ceiling, starting my own prayer and thanking God that not only I was alive, but that Doc was able to save me. I wasn't thinking about our fight anymore, that I made him so made my own decisions that I made, I was just glad that we both were alive and back together again and I dodged death.

"I'm gonna tell Winters that she's stable," Spiers informed Doc, "Do you need anything else?"

"I'm gonna stay with her and make sure she's okay," Eugene answered, his voice was a bit shaky. It felt like, from where I was in the room, that no one was going to argue with him or go against his judgment.

"Right. We'll leave you to it," Spiers said in a careful tone now, looking over at me one more time and then moving out of the rooms. Everyone else was going out one by one, a sense of satisfaction was there as they were going out the door. The last person to look at me was Liebgott, who was chewing his bottom lip and then moving his head down now to look at the floor while he walked away and closed the door behind him.

Finally, it was Eugene and me again.

Eugene slowly moved back over to my side on the table, not saying a word as he was looking right at me, right in the eyes. I felt like I should say something to him, anything since it was just the two of us there and no one else was going to see or hear. That guilt was haunting me, what I was harboring and how we left tit when we talked last. This could have gone the wrong way, I could have died there on the table and he would be left here in the world broken hearted.

I tentatively reached and touched his fingers that were against the table, feeling the roughness of his skin and the dry blood there too. Instantly he laced our fingers together, very gently as he stayed upright and breathed out a shallow breath.

"Eugene," I croaked out to him, finally seeing him lean down close enough to me where we were touching heads. He still said nothing, but as soon as we were touching with our heads, I knew it was enough that we both needed. It was almost a sense of comfort that we both needed for each other. I slowly felt both of his hands touching my face again, this time more intimately and with a sense of security.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized to him, feeling so terrible that he had to do this in front of the others and try not to let me die.

"You scared me so bad, Olive," He admitted to me, his voice sounded so unsure when we were so close to each other. I touched his wrist that was close to me, grasping it rather close, "Why did you have to do that?"

"Because I'm reckless," I replied, grunting a bit now from the wound there along my neck. I was still not getting used to it and I saw him move away when I made the discomforting noise. He checked my neck then, which made me speak up once more, "How bad is it?"

"It ain't good, and it ain't bad," He explained, having em stay still and not move since it felt like I was move something that he placed there, "The stitches are gonna hold. You're gonna have to say here at least for the night until I know the stitches are gonna hold,"

"That means you gonna stay with me?" I asked, almost too sheepishly as he looked back at me. I was ready for him to scold me or to tell me off. I dissevered it, it felt like I deserved it. But he slowly smiled, a small smile that was enough to make me feel way more warmth before.

"I guess so."

* * *

"I take back what I said to you,"

"But it's true,"

"It's not, Olive." He was sitting next to me in one of the chairs that he found outside the room and we were just talking at this point. I felt bad that we were having this talk about what we were saying to each other. We had to talk about it since it felt like we hit a wall at the moment.

He was holding my hand with one hand and stroking my hair with his other hand while I was in the same position as I was before, but a spare jacket was placed under my head as a pillow and almost to keep my head up to help with my wound.

"What I said was hurtful," He went on with his sorrows and how his voice was already bitter from the thought, "I was just scared,"

"I know you were," I reassured him, "It wasn't one of the best choices that I made as a Captain. But I didn't want another soldier out there."

"Olive, we were all scared for you. None of us wanted you out there," He explained, sounding calmer than before when we were in a fight.

"I wasn't going to let one of my own go out there. They deserved to have a longer life," After I said that I knew I might have said the wrong thing, Eugene somehow giving me some kind of confused stare. It might have sounded off to him.

"And you don't?" He had to ask, making me bite my lower lip and look up at the ceiling, already not wanting to have another fight with him. But I didn't hear a single thing, which made me worry since it was just like before when he didn't say anything and then was about to burst.

"You did what you thought was right," I looked over at him now in shock, seeing him thin to himself and there wasn't the look of anger that I thought would be there. But it was mostly of him being somewhat content with what happened and how it happened, "Sometimes, I think we forget that you're a Captain and you were just tryin' to do your job."

"I don't look like a Captain?" I asked, not in a sarcastic way but in a more curious way since it felt the last thing that I would be worried about when it came to the men in Easy.

"It's not that," Eugene answered, "It just….we knew you as one of us before you were a Captain. I think we just see you as one of us, a part of Easy."

"Really?" I questioned, almost sounding way too surprised about it. Even then Eugene had to smile since I made it sound so innocent.

"Don't know how to explain it," He added, having me still keep my smile there since he told me that. To them, I was one of their own that shouldn't be out there with them, almost like they were trying to protect me. As sweet as it sounded, I knew where they were coming from. Maybe my own image or how I carried myself didn't show off to being a Captain, which could have been my mistake.

"This whole war is fucked up," I admitted, mostly to myself but he could hear it in the room. It was so true, this whole war was one twisted kind of game that others were enjoying and the rest were suffering. It never felt like it was going to end anytime soon, no matter how many missions we would succeed in or how far we have come, it still felt like we were stuck with nowhere to really go.

Eugene was quiet again, having me look down at his stained hands that were still close to my own and I squeezed our fingers together. He was lost in his own thoughts and I felt bad for it, for adding fuel to the fire of constant worry and panic that he would have to go through day after day as the medic in Easy.

"You've gone quiet on me," I commented, seeing him slowly blink his eyes as he breathed out an uneven breath, "What's on your mind?"

"Home." he said almost too bluntly, and it sounds like it was painful to say it out loud between the both of us, "I miss home." I thought of my home then, instantly feeling that pain that I had no home to go back to. But there were some parts of it that were kind and good, that made my heart ache. The summer mornings that were a bit too stiff, could evenings with some fireflies along the bayou surface, the sweet smell of the flowers that came in the gardens from the French Quarter. The music, it was always the music that made me think of home.

"I miss home too," I murmured, almost in a hushed tone. I did miss my home, I missed being able to know that I had a home and I didn't have to be afraid to be alone and isolated. But now that was no longer going to be a part of my life, and I made it sound so terrible.

Eugene took our laced fingers over to his lips and he kissed my hand, not saying a word about it but he knew enough. He didn't have to ask to know what happened to me in the past that was enough for me to know that home was no longer an option.

So now we were back on the same page again, somewhat.

* * *

"Can we see it?" Harper asked as she was watching me with her big eyes. O'Neal and the others in Black Mamba were in the room with her, that late morning and they were finally given clearance to see me. Eugene was letting them, thankfully, since he was in the better mood with the ordeal. I had my stitches still in, a gauze over the wound and stitches in case it was going to move or break, and the gauze was big enough to cover hard of my neck. I was still wearing some of my clothes from the night before, but the rest I got to snag from O'Neal since she knew I needed dry clothes. My hair was still somewhat damp and clung to my head as I tried to maneuver it in a messy bun.

"You sure you wanna see it?" I asked her, almost as if I was teasing this whole thing and she then gave a shaky nod since it felt like she was on the fence with the choice of seeing it or not. I moved my fingers up to my gauze, getting the edge of it off from my skin and I peeled half of it off, enough to show the stitching. The slice itself was not too large, but it was a bit too deep for my liking and it curved a bit, almost looking like a curved sword against my skin. The way Eugene took care it was clean enough for it to heal in due time, but it was still somewhat a fresh and raw wound.

"Damn," O'Neal said in a gasp as the others said nothing but averted their eyes for a moment or so. Jameson almost looked like she was going to be green in the face, Harper almost gagged and I couldn't help but smile. It felt silly for them to react like that on me since we were trained killers in the act of war. This was more like a flesh wound, and they were reacting like it was an amputation.

"It's not that bad you guys," I reasoned as I got the gauze back on me and against my neck, pressing it in slightly and squinting from the small pain that I felt.

"I mean, it'll be a good enough scar there," Harper commented

"Now you have a reputation," O'Neal chimed in, but her tone sounded a bit lower than the other sand less optimistic. I eyed her, tilted my head then and tried not to move my neck too much.

"Should I take that as an insult or a compliment, O'Neal?" I asked her, not wanting to sound like the Captain that I was but as her friend.

"Can I be honest with you, Captain?" She countered with her own question. I felt lie she was about to unleash that she was holding in for the past 12 hours since I was shot. But it felt like this needed to happen, we needed to air this out before anything else was going to happen.

"You can always be honest with me, all of you can," I reassured mostly to her but to the rest of the girls. O'Neal in a solid breath before we locked eyes and I was ready for anything that could come by way as something negative.

"I thought you were going to die out there," She explained, her voice still sounding reasonable but I could tell she was really holding back when it came to telling me what was on her mind, "This unit afford to lose another Captain, and it's our job to do the dirty work, not you,"

I said nothing, thinking about it now and in how she worded it. I was a Captain, but in my mind, that didn't mean I was going to stay on the sideline. I wanted to be out there and contribute, but how they were reacting was enough for me to realize the I would need to be the one who was going to make commands and make sure the missions go the right way. They could handle the missions and the protocol without me, without me being there by their side.

"It's not that we don't like ya," Harper said in a kinder tone, in which the others were smirking from how innocent she was sounding, "But you've done enough fighting for all of us combined. We can handle it on our own from here on out."

"Plus you're too pretty to get hurt," Jameson said in a snort and I shot her a playful look, O'Neal chuckling from the comment and I felt like the tension that should be there no longer existed. We were back on good terms again when it came to Black Mamba Unit. It felt like more of a blessing than a curse.

"I'll put the sniper away," I reassured them all, seeing each of them look like they were having a sigh of relief on their faces. I would rather be a cooperative Captain with her soldiers than someone who is not willing to work with them. They would take a bullet for me and I for them, and it had to work in that manner in order for us to make it to the end of this war, whenever that was. It was even more soothing when h=Harper spoke the infamous line that was going to set for the rest of our career together as a unit.

"Good, and we'll take care of the rest."

* * *

There wasn't a second patrol. A blessing really.

Major Winters told Easy and then came in to inform me after he got word that they were wanting a second patrol. After he heard about what happened to Jackson, along with my neck injury, he felt like it was not worth it going at it again. Although others higher up the career ladder saw it was successful, Winters saw that the group has had enough. He informed me when he came in to check on me in my room, and thankfully he wasn't going to scold me on my actions in that river.

"I'm giving Easy some rest, along with Back Mamba since it felt as though we need it," He explained as we were sitting side by side in one of the officer rooms back in town. It took me a good while to get over to that room, but I would rather try to walk around than sit in one place.

"I think they deserve some kind of break, Major," I said in agreement, watching him then give me some kind of concerning look since he has yet to address the wound on my neck. I saw him shift a bit in his chair, almost like he was trying to find the right words to me. I wanted to beat it to the punch.

"If it helps, Major, I already had a talk with my unit about me jumping in that river," I explained, seeing him watch me now with some intrigue than agitation that I thought he would have, "I do take responsibility for what append and how it would have made the mission more of a threat." He sat back in his chair, almost like he was taken back from what I said and how I was handling it. I didn't want it to seem like I was hating on myself, but I also didn't want it to be placed under the rug.

"Well, that makes my talk with you a whole lot easier then," He replied, almost sounding a bit too casual about it with me as I took in my own shaky breath.

"How's Martin?" I questioned since he instantly came into my mind. I felt bad that I didn't ask for him before, but then again I had a wound to the neck and it almost killed me.

"He almost had hypothermia, but thanks to you he's gonna make it. Martin will have a cough for a few days," Winters informed me, which made me sigh a biting relief, "I will say, from one leader to another. As rogue as it was when it came to the decision that was made, you made a good decision. It was a good leadership decision and choice that any Captain would have made."

"If you were a Captain, sir," I started, thinking that it was a right thing to ask him since he was taking this both sternly and yet smoothly at the same time, "Would you have done it? Jumped in the water after Martin?"

He paused, almost lost in his own thoughts for only a brief moment or two. When we locked eyes again after he took a second to himself, I saw the full status of his leadership. He was our major through and through, in the way we stared at each other and in how there was a sense of history in how he was sitting across from me. All of the hours he spent with those boys, all of the times he yelled out commands and yet at the same time protecting them when he could.

It was there.

"In a heartbeat."

* * *

I walked into the main command center of the town, back on my feet with the approval of Doc and Winters. I was still healing, from time to time it would hurt to breathe or move my neck to a certain degree, but it would have been worse if the bullet was a bit closer to the skin. I needed to move and get my movement back in my legs, better than sitting all day and letting my neck get back to normal somewhat. The stitches were still there, I had medicine in my pocket to help with the pain, but something else changed within me.

I was stronger, a thicker skin was evident.

There were plenty of people in the room, half of them were in Black Mamba and the rest were from Easy. A couple of the officers saw me first, all of them were wrapped around one of the tables is maps all over the top and they stopped their talk with one another to see me walk. The others looked a bit spooked to see me walking without meeting any of them in the eyes. I had to make my statement well known around the area, whether they were being negative to me or not. What happened to be back there along the river, so close to losing my life, was enough for them to turn their heads and to see me in a different light. I was no longer amongst them, at least it was seen by them. My Captain role had to have some respect for it, and I needed that in order to have a successful time in the war and a fulfilling career as a captain.

I stood in front of the officers, seeing all of their faces watching me and they were clearly seeing that I was not going to be pushed aside. Spiers smirked at me slightly, Nixon tilted his head at me in interest and with his own smile, as Dick gave me a genuine look. I knew some of them were looking at the long wound there along my neck that was going to turn into a scar that will forever be a brand and a claim of what I went through.

"Glad you're here, Captain," Dick said to me finally, the others nodding in agreement. I didn't see the girls in Black Mamba grinning behind me or smiling so wide, but I knew they were. It was a new turning page for everyone there in the room, starting with me.

"Glad to be here, Major."


	24. Chapter 24

March 1945

Sturzleberg, Germany

The sun was touching the dishes of skin that were showing while I was sleeping, slowly waking up from the recent dream that I had. I was used to those dreams, the kind of dreams that used to be nightmares that would keep me up at night. It was nothing I haven't seen before, nothing that I was accustomed to. It was now more of a numb pain, maybe hazy and almost static.

But now I was awake.

I peeked one eye open, seeing the ceiling and the sun rays coming through slowly from the window. It was wide open, the warmth of the air seeping in and the faint sounds of military jeeps were coming in the room I was in. I wanted to stay in that bed, my neck was still healing but it was beyond better from what it was before. The stitches came off, leaving a faint but still pink line of a scar that was tender enough to give me a few seconds of pain if there was pressure there, but not enough pain to be a serious problem. I could feel the scar when I breathe, having me think it was going to be like this for the rest of my life.

Some time after I was given the freedom to move around and be mobile again, Johnny Martin hunted me down. He almost got a bad cause of pneumonia because of the incident, yet he was coming to find me to thank me for saving his life. I wanted to just brush it aside and not think any more about it since it felt like it was part of my duty: to protect the men of Easy. But he was then who hunted me down fully and wanted to properly thank me.

"You gave me the opportunity to go home, back to my wife and my life. I can't thank you enough,"

Slowly and stretching my legs at the same time, I finally got out of bed and rubbed my face, trying to get the sleepiness out of my eyes and getting the energy coming through me. I knew we were going to move out soon to go to another town, going from place to place to either help with the cleanup and basically stay busy. We heard there were some Companies and even Battalions that were trying to land in Berlin to take the element of surprise, yet we weren't the chosen ones to do such a thing.

Running my fingers through my hair, I finally got out of the bed, even when it was nice and cozy enough for me to sink into compared to the plenty of times we were in either a foxhole or shared up in the corner of some abandoned barn house, This was a true first, taking in a real bed to sleep. Sometimes it was hard to remember that we were still active in the military when the bed was so comfortable. The sun was warming up the small room that they gave me when we came into town, one of the master rooms and the others were in smaller and more compact. I was going to have a Black Mamba meeting, along with talking with Easy about the upcoming move to the next town we were going to stay in.

"Y'all seen Luz or Perconte?" I could hear someone talking outside my room as I walked over where I placed my combat jacket, putting it on over my undershirt.

"They went on a walk this morning, I think we went to get eggs somewhere," Shifty asked, having me hear his gentle and southern drawl of a voice. I moved my hair back and finally got some energy back in me to move out of the room, locking the door behind me. The hallway in that building was still a bit dusty, but enough for me to see some of the doors were opened and others were closed. As I walked down the hallway, I could hear some of the conversation that was being said behind closed door, meaningless talks that weren't that important for me to eavesdrop.

Typical men.

Outside, the sun was shining and the warmth of the Spring day was coming along quite well, having me see the tints of yellow and a hint of blue as the sun was getting higher and higher into the sky. But the streets were bustling with activity: we took over the town itself. Jeeps were coming to and fro, soldiers were walking along the sidewalk and constant chatter. It felt so different, compared to maybe a month ago when the cold and the bitterness of the war was consuming us one by one. But now it felt like it was all new, a new changing and turning of a leaf was in effect since we got heard we were on the winning side of the war.

It felt…normal.

"Good morning, Captain," I looked over to the left, seeing O'Neal walk over to me in her own fresh uniform. I could tell she got a hair cut, nice and short to go with both the military protocol and the style that was happening back in the states. She looked good, even with our Special operations uniform that would make her look bulkier.

"Morning, Lieutenant," I said back to her in a greeting, "I'm sensing you still wanna go for our run with the others?"

"Of course, we need the running since we've been slacking a bit," She explained, having me watch the town square in front of me, seeing the interactions of the civilians with the military personal. It was going to be a very careful situation to be in since though we were winning the war, we were still in their territory. Though they were more afraid of us than we were of them, we had to remain in the notion that the war was still going on and something could happen.

"I have a meeting after our running session with some of the other officers, including those in Easy," I explained as we both were scanning the square at the same time, the warm breeze coming in to bite off the chill of the morning, "Have Black Mamba go through the protocols for the next mission out near Belgium while I'm meeting with the officers. We may be out of the main woods with the Germans, but our job is not done yet,"

"Agreed," O'Neal replied, "We leave for the mission before sunset. I'll make sure our transportation is taken care and ready to go," I smiled from hearing the sense of pride there in her tone and how she was carrying herself in the way she said it. I was going to say one more thing to her when we saw a jeep so squirming by in the square, almost way too quickly and it was barely about to hit one of the officers. I recognized the officer: Spiers, who got himself back on the sidewalk just in time for the jeep to speed past him with a honk of his horn.

"I think that was Captain Nixon," O'Neal stated, almost nonchalantly as I looked at the jeep as well. It was Nixon, but he looked disheveled. A bit out of sorts and almost looking angry, maybe something was on his mind.

"I think so too," I said in agreement as he got out of the jeep and walked over to the postal area where we would get mail, "Get the girls ready for the run,"

"You got it, Captain," I walked away from O'Neal then as soon as she gave me a quick salute and I made my own way over to the post office. it has been awhile since I even checked my own mail and who knows what was in there for me. It's been awhile since I've even heard from my mother, and I would doubt I would hear from her again. But it didn't hurt to just look and see.

The office itself looked like it used to be the lobby of some kind, a soldier behind the counter sorting mail and it was right in that moment when I saw Spiers already talking to him about him getting seem of his things in one pile. Spiers turned and looked over at me now, a small smile on his face when I entered. The private behind the counter saw me as well and he threw up a salute at me.

"Ma'am." he said, Spiers staying quiet as I nodded to the private.

"Hello Captain," Spiers said to me as the private went back to work, apparently looking for my mail while I walked over to Spiers with my own soft smile.

"Captain Spiers. It's good to see you up and about," I commented to him.

"You as well. If I do say so, you look alert today as of late," He replied back, a sweet enough comment that he would give someone since he as never one that would be beyond emotional. That was as close to having an emotional talk as we were ever going to get anytime soon. It was fine by me.

"Thank you, sir. Eugene Roe has done his magic as usual," I explained, "The scar is permanent, but it could have been worse enough."

"Fair enough, I'm assuming that you're keeping Black Mamba in top shape with more missions," Spiers said as we were standing side by side now, the private now holding a small letter in his hands. I wondered in that moment if it was for me.

"We really have any missions these days since the war is coming to a close, and we were on the upper hand," I exclaimed to him while the private walked around the counter over to the both of us and handed me the letter before giving me a salute. I took it carefully when Spiers spoke up once more.

"I'm sure that they'll find more missions for you and keep you busy," Spiers said in some kind of agreement with me as I looked at the label there on the top of the letter, seeing the lettering and how I knew who wrote to me. I wanted to avoid it, yet I knew it would come back around to me again now as I was still fighting in a war. The part of me that was back at home almost felt like it was frozen in time, not moving forward or backward. This life was more active and more important now but this letter was more a reality check.

A reality check of home.

"Knowing Matthews back at Headquarters, he'll make sure Black Mamba stays busy," I said back to him, coming back to my own thoughts again. Spiers watched me, having me realize that he was watching me alone with my own thoughts for a moment or two. Did he think of me differently now since it looked like I was letting my guard down?

"Letter from home I presume?" Spiers questioned, nothing but friendly about it but I could tell he could see something was a bit off with me from the moment the private gave me the letter. But I was going to swallow it down, not to show it or have it be exposed.

"You can say that, sir."

* * *

I was left once again with my own room in the next town that we were in, the rest of the soldiers in Easy and Black Mamba were finding their won rooms and I looked at the small suite that they gave me with the other Captains. Once again, after taking over somebody's house and pretty much kicking them out for the night. Sure I felt downright bad about it, and our german translator that really trying to bite her tongue with me since I knew she didn't want to tell me what they were really saying about the situation. It was a nice gesture from her, though, but I was still thinking about home.

I didn't even want to open it, it felt like it would bring another world wind of hurt that I didn't need right now at this time of my life. I didn't even dare to write to my sister about my own incident with the river in how I almost lost my life for the sake of another life. What would she think if she saw that on paper? I didn't want to mention it to my mother since according to her I was dead in her eyes anyways.

I felt miserable.

Once I finally got settled in my living area, I sat down in front of the fire that I started in the fireplace, already debating whether or not to just burn the letter and never think about it again. It would make things easier for me, no more thoughts and questions about what was going on at home and staying here to help with the men and that war itself. I would stay here in a heartbeat, but that sinking feeling of having nowhere to go when we would go back to America.

I didn't have a real home.

I didn't hear the knock at the door, not at first really since I looked away from the letter that I was sitting on the coffee table in front of me, but then I found my voice just to be courtesy because me being along at the moment didn't seem real fair.

"Come in," I instructed, my voice echoing in the room a bit since I was alone and the sitting area of my own apartment. The door opened softly, my eyes still on the dancing embers of the fire when footsteps were heard slowly coming into the room and the door closing at the same time. I had no real energy to put up with the soldiers if they were having some kind of issues with each other.

"Olive?" Of course, it would be the last person I thought would come in. I slowly looked over at him at my right side, watching how he was observing me without a single bit of movement. He's been looking better as of late compared to the times in the forest and in the constant cold. Since we got warmer weather, some color was found once again back on his face thankfully, and he was getting healthier under the eyes and even in how he walked.

"Heya Eugene," I sounded so worn from how I said it and how it came out in the room. I was worn, the constant nights of planning missions and having small cases of insomnia. I didn't sound my usual self anymore, and I think it was because of this letter from home being the tipping point. He walked over a bit more, standing in front of the sofa that I was sitting at.

"Wanted to check on ya," He explained, keeping it short and almost a bit blunt.

"You thought I was in trouble?" I asked, not in a threatening way but more curious and intrigued. He shrugged his shoulders slightly, still keeping his distance from me in hopes that I would be too close to him or vice versa.

"Grant told me you looked down, wanted to come by and see if you were alright." He explained to me than seeing the letter there on the surface of the couch. He froze, and I could tell he knew as well where it came from. I wanted to see what he was going to do and what he was going to ask about this, but then again he could only know so much that I was going to give him.

"Your family wrote?" He asked, having me slowly nod my head and look back at the fire, already feeling nauseous about the whole thing. I didn't know what else to say about it since I didn't want to throw out my aggression on him, he was the last person that would deserve something like that.

"You can read it if you want," I commented, already not wanting to see the letter there on the paper myself as Eugene was still standing there by the couch as if he was not understanding what he should do. Finally, slowly and without making a single sound, he reached down to grasp the letter.

After opening it, I heard him clear his throat in an unusual manner before he started reading what it said,

 _"Dear Olivia,_

 _I hope the army is treating you well. I wanted to write as a matter of some urgency since it involves our mother. We got into an argument the other night and you were the topic of conversation,"_ Eugene paused, eyeing me for a moment to see my reaction to the whole thing. I stay quiet, hearing him shuffle to sit down next to me on the couch but give me enough space.

" _Mother still thinks that you're making too brash of a decision to go against her wishes, and it got to the point of her denouncing our family name to drag it through the mud. I've been cordial with her for far too long to let something like that slide, so I spoke up and told her that what she said was false and unsuitable You should have seen her face, it was quite a marvel in itself,"_ I grinned, Eugene almost chuckling from what he was reading as he pressed on.

 _"When she mentioned Elliot and what he was saying about you on the streets, I knew then that it was wrong. I haven't talked to her since, and yet she's been trying to reach out to me. I know understand how you fell in a way, and I help you understand that you have an ally in me. I had no real idea as to what you were going through, but now I do and I do wish that you would seek refuge in me,_

 _"We pray for you every day and night, and we hope that you come home nice and safe. You are welcome in my home anytime, believe me. I love you and I'm proud to call you my sister._

 _Your sister."_

Eugene placed the letter down after he was done reading it, slowly reaching over to grab my hand that there resting on my kneecap. He knew some of the things that happened to me back in my past, I remember telling him some of those things, but he still didn't know the whole story and what I as going through at the time.

"Elliot was the one who…" Eugene started, and I squeezed his hand in order for him to both stop and for my own heart to not beat out of my chest. It was slowly coming over me again and again like a freight train, seeing Elliot's face and how I was feeling beyond sad after, worthless and sad at the same time. Eugene scooted closer to me, his movement was gentle and not startling, and I could feel his other hadn't touched my arm in order to get me back to reality.

"Olive…It's going to be okay," He reassured me, having me close my eyes finally and I tried to breathe. I was taught never to show my real emotions when I was in the army, and yet it was all going to unhinge itself. I could even feel one tear coming out from my eyes just because everything that was going on with my life was getting way too out of control and out of hand.

"I don't know if I can believe that right now," I admitted to him, even with it sounding bitter in my mouth. The fire crackled a bit and made me blink a few times and come back to reality where Eugene was, where we both were.

"I don't think you should let what Elliot did to you effect you now….even when I don't have any idea how it feels. Don't let it kill you….trust me." Eugene started to explain, having me hear him breathe out, "I kind've experienced in grief when my grandmiere died." It made me look over at him now, seeing him think to himself and have some kind of sadness wash over him briefly, which was rare for him since he was always determined and stern when he was out in the field.

"I don't think I ever cried that much in my life, and I thought it was foolish to cry. But my mom reminded me that it's okay to cry sometimes, nothin' wrong with cryin' since we're human," He reassured me, and I was waiting for him to break down in tears from talking about his deceased grandmother, but he was so calm and reassuring about it.

"If you need to cry, you can cry," He explained to me now, finally looking back at me and having me see the sweetness there behind his eyes. He wanted me to know that it was okay, even with the constant battle within me to not cry and to not give in, he was letting me do it.

But still…now was not the time.

"Thank you, Eugene. But I'm okay," I answered, seeing him just smile at me and still hold my hand, "Mind staying' here for awhile?" He shook his head, which made me happy since I thought he would want to leave after almost seeing me have some kind of nervous breakdown with my own letter from home.

"I got nothing else to do tonight anyhow, Spina's on duty downstairs," Eugene explained as I leaned back a bit on the couch.

"What for? Someone hurt?" I asked in curiosity.

"Pulling out a few splinter's in Perconte's leg since he's bitchin' about it all night," Eugene answered, having me finally chuckle for the first time that night, and it felt good to chuckle and get a smile back on my face. Slowly I leaned my head over and rested it on his shoulder, feeling how warm he was against my own body, "How was our day, other than the letter?"

"I talked to Captain Spiers for a few minutes," I replied.

"How did that go?" He asked me now in intrigue.

"He's more casual than he lets us I think," I observed with him, "Enough about me and I went through, I wanna hear about your day."

"I had a borin' day." Eugene tried to argue with me, but I shook my head against his shoulder. It didn't matter to me that I was with him alone in my room, or that the letter that I read from was telling me more of the woes back at him. All that mattered was Eugene was with me and not seeming freaked out about my own messed up life.

"I wanna hear about it,"

* * *

"Glory glory, what a hell of a day to die…He ain't gonna jump no more!"

"Lord can these boys sing," O'Neal said with a chuckle as we were sitting in our own jeep, riding along with the rest of Easy Company to the next town that we were going to stay in. The sun was warm on our faces and the wings were cool enough for getting through our hair and cool us down from the spring afternoon. It was lucky enough for us to stay on with Easy since there wasn't another mission that was needing our assistance anytime soon and now we were just waiting to see what could happen next.

Waiting or what could either be an easy mission or a hard one. I didn't know.

"You think you can sing better?" Stranton asked in a jab to her as she was sitting in the back, her head looking up to the sky and her eyes closed. I was in the passenger seat, another private during our jeep as O'Neal was right behind me and standing up, leaning against the bar of the jeep and chuckling.

"Of course I can, they don't know I'm an accomplished singer," O'Neal bragged.

"One more thing to add to all the things you're perfect at," I joked with her, hearing Stranton snort through her nose.

"Don't be jealous, Captain." O'Neal said to me,"I think you're great as well. But let's be honest, I'm the singer in Black Mamba." There was a comfortable since with us there in the jeep, the humming of the jeep and the rolling of the green hills that we were going through. It felt like we were giving a small piece of a break, nothing to hold us back and making us worry. For me, it almost felt like it was too good to me true with how things were moving so smoothly with the war and how we were slowly winning. Was the carpet beneath us going to be pulled out and reality was really going to set in, but I didn't think anyone was going to mention it anytime soon?

We were enjoying the moment.

"Captain, you think we're going to win the war?" O'Neal asked, out of the blue and making me cock my head at her in wonder.

"What do you mean?" I asked her since I was really wondering what was going on with her.

"I know what we're hearing from the other officers that we are, but it feels…weird you know?" She asked me now, moving her hair from her face as we were still driving.

"I think so," I said in agreement, "You know we haven't had a mission in a long while, and the next one in Belgium's not as crucial as others that we've had before. What do you think, Stratton?"

"I think we're seeing the end of the war," She answered from right behind me, having me hear the hopefulness there in her voice, "I'm staying hopeful about it."

"No other way, Stranton," O'Neal agreed.

"We still need to stay sharp, though. Don't forget that," I reminded the both of them, "We can't be comfortable just yet since the war is still active."

"Can't we get a small break for once? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it would be nice to breathe every once in awhile," O'Neal commented, having me raise an eyebrow at her.

"Since when are you one to sit still and relax?" I asked her, Stranton once again chuckling from out we were sparring with each other with our words. O'Neal just shrugged, looking behind her at the Easy Company men behind us in their lines of jeeps and trucks and how they were talking with one another. I wondered what they were talking about, if they too were at peace and if they were looking forward to going home. Home…something that I wasn't going to look forward to. They had that luxury, but I didn't.

"If only, O'Neal. If only."


	25. Chapter 25

We stopped in the next town, a small village called Landsburg, with all the jeeps and trucks with the men lurking in slowly and coming to a stop in the middle of the square. The was a quaint little town, the citizens there were looking at us in awe and curiosity as the men were piling out of the trucks one by one. I hopped out of the jeep, looking back at the rest of the girls before I was going to walk over to the other Captains that were meeting with a game plan.

"Get some rooms for us over the building on the left side, then meet me in the lobby in ten minutes and we'll go over a game plan," I instructed them as they nodded their heads. I moved then over to Welsh, Lipton, Spiers, Nixon and Winters who were talking together. I could see some of the lingering eyes of those citizens as they saw me walking in my Black Mamba uniform, in awe that a woman was amongst the men there as well as the other girls.

"I want to spend out patrols. I'll have Dog here in the vIllage, Easy and Fox in the woods," Winters said to the the group of us, in which case he looked over at me, "You alright sending Black Mamba in with Easy and Fox?"

"I'll let them know, Major," I replied smoothly.

"Easy and Black Mamba are going to take the Northwest, Lieutenant Lipton, have 1st and 2nd platoon swing up to the wood and have the third swing around," Spiers instructed Lipton

"Yes sir," Lipton replied as he walked over to the others and I was left there with Spiers.

"You think it's advisable to have all of your unit out there in the woods, or would you prefer to have some of them here with Dog Company?" Spiers asked m, in which I raised an eyebrow to him.

"I think Dog can handle the village without Black Mamba aiding them, don't you?" I asked, not wanting it to sound like a tease but it almost did sound like it. Spier almost chuckled, a real one too as he was thinking about it. I looked back over at the girls in Black Mamba, all of whom were talking together while they were getting their things and about to walk over to the hotel that we were going to take. It pained a bit to see them acting like they had no care or worry int he world. But it was a painful reminder that we were still being watched not by civilians, but by other soldiers and officers. We were still not safe in this place, even with me being a Captain and some kind of rights and authority.

"Have you heard back from Captain Matthews?" Spiers asked me as I was still watching the girls walk over to the small hotel, shoulder to shoulders and laughing about someone's joke that was just said.

"I should be hearing from him soon," I answered,"I should be hearing a recent new report on Black Mamba and our performance."

"You fear you're not fulfilling a unit's priority?" Spiers questioned since it sounded like he too was curious and almost confused about that as well as I. How could I word it to him without sounded cruel or mean on my own part? How could I make him understand what kind of danger we were in as a unit compared to the others in the army merely because we were female? It would be lost and confusing for him, but for us was real and it was so close to exploding in our faces. But I felt like I shouldn't talk to him about it, not now since we were still doing our job there.

"It's not my decision whether or not we can be here and help, Captain Spiers," I left it at that, walking away from him and over to the hotel lobby. I couldn't do that in this moment, not while we were still on patrol and still doing our job with helping Easy in any way we could. I still had to think of the unit and what worked best for us and what was going to make us succeed. I couldn't think of things that could happen to us in the near or distant future, I had to remind myself that the present was all we could work with and hope for.

What was going to happen was going to happen.

* * *

"From here on out we have to keep our heads on straight for anything that could happen to us," I instructed the girls there as we were meeting in the lobby. We were all alone there in that dimly lit lobby of the small hotel, I could see the German decor and the furnishings there that made me both feel like home and out of place at the same time. We got the chairs all in a circle, facing each other and we were talking about the next few days and what we could be up against when it came to our place in the army and with Easy.

"Captain Matthews still thinks of us as an ally for Easy I assume?" Harper asked me, mostly to me but I knew she was talking to the others in the room.

"As of thus far, we're still supposed to say with Easy Company with whatever they need. However, I would have to keep you guys warned that we could be called away from them sometimes soon within the next day or so," I explained, pausing a bit after I said that to them to have to sink in. They looked a bit off when I said it, looking at each other to see who was understanding it. But it was O'Neal who finally spoke up then.

"Ma'am, Are we going to go back home?" She asked me, almost tentatively as the others were looking at me as well. They were now wondering the same questions, and I didn't know who to word it to them without making it sound bad.

"You all know that we've been watched: both by the soldiers and the officers. They've been wondering if we are good enough to be in the army, to be amongst them and working alongside them. So I wouldn't be surprised if we get pulled out for who know what," Some of them sat back, drinking that in, others were looking a bit frustrated about it really as I took in my own shaky breath.

"I want you all to know, that whatever happens with us, you have all done a great deal of service to your country. I wouldn't want to fight with anyone else, believe me when I say that." It felt like we were about to go off on our own and never see each other again, and it pained me to say that to them. They must have known that we were going to be on the ropes sometime soon, and for whatever reason, we could be pulled and taken home.

"I'm not gonna be surprised if they do, ma'am. But I'm not going to quite just yet," Harper explained to me as she shifted in her own seat, "We came this far, haven't we? How many missions do you think we've been on?"

"More than I can count on both fingers," Stranton answered.

"Exactly, and if they can't see that as something, if pardon my language for the brief moment, but fuck them." I saw the other chuckle a building when she said that and they grinned too. They were on the same pair when it came to something like that, they knew what they did and they didn't need other to recognize that. I even grinned, for some odd reason since she used language like that, it made me feel better about it. They were content with the future and what it had in store for them.

But was I satisfied?

As soon as I walked out into the courtyard again after Black Mamba went off to help the Easy scouts in the woods, I could see more and more soldiers that were talking with each other and just passing the time. It still felt warm as I could see Babe, Liebgott, and Sisk talking with each other against the fence in front of one of the jeeps. As soon as they saw me, they waved me over, having me shove my hands in my pockets and walk over with an ease in my step.

"Heya, Captain," Babe greeted me.

"Babe, Sisk, Liebgott. Have you guys seen Doc Roe around?" I asked, making it mostly a curious question as they all shook their heads.

"He's in a meeting with Spina and the other medics in Dog and Fox company, ma'am. Going over supplies for something like that," Babe answered, "Where are the others?"

"They're on patrol." I replied smoothly, "Why you wanna know?"

"He was hoping that Harper would teach him that mean right hook she has," Sisk said in a grin, Babe then shoving him a bit with the back of his hand against his chest to quiet him down. It was then that Liebgott spoke up, almost look down for a brief second and then right at me in the eyes.

"Hey uhh…I wanted to say sorry," He said to me kindly, and I could tell he was trying to make it sound very genuine on his part, and it was.

"For what, Liebgott?" I asked, not getting what he was talking about or where this was coming from. He rubbed the back of his head, Babe motioning to Sisk for the both of them to move out of the way so that LIebgott and I could talk. They both walked away a bit, too hard to hear but close enough to see if there was going to be any trouble. Liebgott stared at them now, rolling his eyes.

"Christ, I ain't gonna hit her! She's a Captain for Christ sake, leave us alone," He grumbled at him, Siske rolling his own eyes as be and Babe walked away some more and Liebgott looked back at me again, his eyes soft once more as he kept talking to me now, "For what I said back at Hageneau. It wasn't right, even with Webster ripping my ear and telling me over and over that, I was acting like a jerk to you,"

"Joe, you don't have to worry about it," I reasoned with him since it felt like this was not the best place to talk about something like that which happened in the past.

"Well you're a Captain and for me to say that to a Captain, in general, wasn't right at all. Sorry about that," He apologized, and I saw how he was almost shrinking himself in with a hunch of his shoulders and his hands shoved in his pockets. It felt like I was looking a kicked puppy who was trying to get in my good graces again after being punished, and even the way he was watching me with his eyes was enough for me to see that he really was sorry for what he did.

"Liebgott," I said to him finally, seeing him watch my every move when I said that, "It's totally okay. I was speaking out on my own feelings as well, which is frowned upon with our training. But it's nothing that we have to worry about anymore." I was never one to make another person feel about for something that they said to me when I knew that it didn't matter that much to me, to begin with. For me, that argument that we had back in France when we were cold and shiver, not to mention ready to just be done with the war in general, was nothing but water under the bridge and we didn't to really fret about it anymore. I smiled, seeing him about to give me a smile when someone was running back into town at a very fast pace, and he was not alone. Right behind hi,m was O'Neal. Liebgott and I both looked, both of us very confused as we were seeing Perconte running, his helmet in his hand and his face looking like he was about to have some kind of panic attack.

"What the hell?" Liebgott asked beside me, having me think the same thing now as we were watching going from person to person now, talking frantically and the people shaking their heads in return. That's when I knew something was off, and it was not pretty as O'Neal finally saw me in the crowd with Liebgott. Perconte ran off on his own, going over to Winters now as O'Neal was running over to me and she gasped for air as she stopped. I knew something was up since she was the fastest running in our unit, aside from me, and she had a pale look on her face.

"Captain! I need….I need to tell you…" She was gasping out, almost going into a hyperventilation on her face and in her breath. I quickly grasped her shoulder to help her stay up from hunching over since she was running so fast. I didn't know what was going on, but it was making me panic too since she couldn't even compose herself now. Even Liebgott placed his hand on her arm to keep her up for keeling over.

"Jesus," Liebgott said in a mutter as he reached over to grab his canteen that was on his hip. He unscrewed the top and handed it to her, seeing her drink down a big drink of cold water now before she found her voice again, her eyes big like headlights and

"We found something….out there on patrol that's….I-I I can't." she gasped out like she was in pain from what she was trying to say as I rubbed her shoulders.

"Take a breath, O'Neal," I reassured her since the last thing that we would need was someone who was going to have some kind of panic attack trying to tell me something. I looked up from her now over to where Perconte was, seeing him finally seek out Major Winters and trying to talk to him now when O'Neal spoke up once more.

"We found something."She gasped out finally, having me snap my eyes back at her as she was looking at both Joe and myself. The way she said it was almost demeaning as if she was afraid to say it out loud and give it breath. I couldn't say anything for a word or so since I could see enough on her face that whatever she saw, it was not good.

"What did you see?"

* * *

The first thing that we noticed was the smell. It was almost making me gag from smelling it while we were going down the road, The closer we were getting to where Perconte and O'Neal pointed out, the stench of something that seemed beyond horrid was getting more and more intense, even some from of the soldiers were trying not to get sick in the jeeps. Winters had the whole battalion that was in town come, jeeps and trucks filled with them since Perconte told Winters that we needed to bring everyone.

It made me panic.

As we rounded the corner, I finally saw what was bringing the horror on both Perconte and O'Neal's faces. There was a fence, a tall fence with the pillars made of thick wood and barbed wires, stretched along a long section of the forest that seemed to have been mowed down for this kind of place, smoke was rising into the sky, the source of the stench and silent smell that we were breathing in whether we were ready for it or not. I could see some wooden huts that were lined up in rows and rows, but that wasn't the firs thing that we saw.

We saw people…hundreds and hundreds of people.

But they didn't look like people that first, not in their faces but in their body language. They wore printers clothes, I could tell that much, some of them had caps on their heads, and even some were shirtless to show their skinny chests and every rib on their skeleton. They looked like skeletons to be honest which made all of us go into silence as we stopped in front of the front gates that were secured shut.

Bull was waiting for us there, squatting in front of the gates and look juts as graves as the others who were waiting with them. No one said a word, we all just were in shock as we followed Major Winters out to the front. I felt the others in Black Mamba right behind me, not saying a word but I looked back at them all.

"Bandanas on," I instructed, putting on my own that was in my pocket. They all grabbed theirs, placing them in front of their mouths and over those noses since the last thing we needed was one of our own getting sick. Winters ordered the front gates to be opened, someone breaking down the chains as the prisoners that were in the area were looking on in curiosity and anticipation.

But were they prisoners? What were they?

Once the gates were opened, we slowly walked in, seeing that there were more people within those barbed wires, all of them were watching us closely and intensely. The others in Fox, Dog, and Easy were not able to do anything else but walk in, taking in all that they saw and the prisoners finally coming up to them. At first, I thought they would be afraid of us, not to mention violent since we clearly were coming into their area, but we got the opposite.

Some of them were hugging soldiers, others were crying and trying to speak to them. They spoke German, which made me look over to find Dunkle, our translator of Black Mamba.

"You stay with me in case we need to talk to them," I instructed, then looking back at the others behind me, "Go give your water and scraps of food, make sure we get them warm with blankets and your jackets if you can spare it. We need to take care of them."

"You got it, Captain," The others said to me as we were walking through with Easy men that were being things left and right. I didn't know where to start, or what to do at this point since it all felt like this was crashing down all around us and nothing was stopping it or slowing it down. Soldiers were trying to comfort the prisoners, and the prisoners were almost walking around like they were in a mist;

"Here you go…here you go," Dunkle was talking behind me, having me realize that she walked off to talk to one of the prisoners, She spoke to him in German, who talked back to her in a fast pace in return. I walked over to her, seeing her hand the prisoner some of her own water. This made me desperately wish that I spoke German and was able to hear what was going on, and from the look on Dunkle's face, she was not liking what the prisoner was telling her.

"Dunkle?" I asked, finally seeing her tear her eyes from him now and over to me.

"They've been here without anyone guarding them since this morning, the guard left them her and some of them were there killed before the guards took off," Dunkle explained to me as the prisoner was drinking slowly from her own canteen, "I didn't catch what kind of place this was, but all he said was that they killed his friends, all of them."

"Jesus," I grumbled, looking over my shoulder to see Liebgott talking to another prisoner with Spiers, Winters, Christenson and NiIxon listening in with him. They looked grave as well when I looked back at Dunkle now.

"Ask him what kind of place this is," I urged hers seeing her go back to talk to the prisoner again. My own eyes were gazing around, seeing the scene in front of me. Babe was with Malarky, the both of them were looking off somewhere, Luz and Webster are walking and talking together in shock and in uncertainty. No one os knew what to do or what to say, none of knew what to think and how to feel.

"Ma'am," I looked back at Dunkle, seeing her give me as solemn look at me like she was stuck like lightning, "They're not prisoners from a crime."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her since it was not clicking in my head just yet. She bit her lower lip, moving away slightly from the prisoner now as she looked at me directly in the eyes and I felt like she was punched in the chest and the air left her lungs completely.

"They're innocent people here, sent to die because…because they're Jews."

* * *

Jews….They were all here because of their religion?

What kind of place was this?

It wast true, we heard from that prisoner and from others that people talked to, it was sinking in under our skin and churning things over and over again. None of us could really take it, take in that humans were doing this to each other, that thesis men were being forced to work until they would fall over and die. All because of the fact that they were Jews, nothing more or less.

Why?

We got them blankets and water, as much as we could find from the town, though most of them were still stunned and in a daze as to what happened. I felt as though I was going to be sick, not having this all settle in just yet. The looks in their eyes, the stench that filled the air, the haunting looks of their skeleton faces and skinny bodies, and the countless bodies of those that were killed before we came along.

I made sure the girls were taking care of the prisoners, helping them in each way that they can. I didn't know where we were going to start. I had to make sure that my own unit was going to help those in need, since I was Captain I had more of a line of duty to do instead of doing it myself, It didn't stop me from at least giving up my jacket to one of the prisoners since he was shivering and was almost about to collapse. We had to get them help and we had to get them help fast, but right when we were just about to break some ground when it came to bringing some aid, Winters walked over to me as I was talking to Black Mamba.

"Captain," He said to me, his voice sounding stern and almost bitten off as I watched him, "Captain Matthews is on the phone back over near our jeeps and wants to talk to you."

"Anything serious, Major?" I asked, thinking that something serious happened.

"There are more of theses camps apparently and it sounds like he wants you to take Black Mamba to one of them, one of the female camps." I felt my own heart about to be shattered at that moment, and I couldn't say a word and I heard Harper gasp behind me, not to mention O'Neal cursing under her breath. I wanted to say something brash, as to why this was happening and what was really going on, but my own Captain part of my brain was not clicking in just yet.

I had to stay calm about this, and not have my own blood boil and my own voice screaming. There was more than one place like this, more and more people being held against their will and being killed or elf to die. It was all too much for me to just go with and go amongst my business, It felt like I was about to explode from all of this happening.

"Matthews wants us to go and help that camp I take it, Major," I asked him, trying to carefully make sure I was sounded like a professional Captain than someone who was feeling beyond hurt about all of this. I didn't want to be there in that moment, I would rather be anywhere else but here and feeling all of this at the same time. it was almost getting to the point that I was going to be sick. And as selfish as it was gong to sound, I wanted to find Eugene.

No, I needed Eugene.

"He thinks you can handle it, but he leaves it up to you since this is your unit," Winters explained to me, seeing the hesitance on my face. I stayed still, taking in my own shaky breath. it was harder than I thought when it came to keeping my sense of control and cool. This was not what I was trained for when I came here, none of us were trained in this at all. How could we react to this and not be less than the soldiers we were supposed to be.

"We can go," I reassured him since the last thing that I wanted to do was to say no to a Major, it would not only make me look bad as a Captain but Black Mamba would have a bad look on them as well since I was their leader. We still had a job to do: to aid Easy in any way that we could. If it meant that we were going to help another group that was in need.

"I'll leave you to it," Winters said to me in a calm tone, slowly walking away from me before he scanned the area behind me, I could see it on his own face that he too was not liking what was going on around. I took out a shaky breath and I could hear someone walking up behind me. I froze, not knowing who it was and I thought I was going to be caught for being in a state that was not a Captain's state of mind. But that wasn't the case, when I felt a hand slip into my own hand and grasp me tightly like a death grip, I instantly knew who that was.

Eugene.

"Olive," He whispered to me, almost desperate. I instantly shook m head, this was not the place to talk like this.

"Not here, come on," I said to him in urgency. I released his hand in an unsettling manner, the both of us walking together and not saying a word as we were making our way back out of the camp and away from the prying eyes of the others. I kept my face stern and facing forward since I didn't know who would be watching, and I was thinking Eugene was doing the same thing. I had to get out of there, away from the smells and the wandering eyes of those on their last breaths and last legs of life. I was no longer within my own head thinking like a Captain. I wanted to do something else that was going to make me angry.

Once we left the camp, moving a bit further out where there were barely any soldiers since they weren't brave enough to go inside and see the horror for themselves, we were finally alone and we went around the corner to hide behind one of the passenger jeeps. Finally, after feeling like I couldn't hold it in for what seemed like an eternity, I breathed out a shaky breath and I tried to breathe one in. It was harder than I thought since it felt like my insides were turning and my eyes were burning from the tears that were threatening to fall. I was still holding it in since I wanted to do more than jut cry. I wanted to scream.

Eugene immediately took my hand again and I felt myself slumping against him in a way that made it seem like my now legs gave out from underneath me. He took my weight against him without bling twice, finally having me feel his other hand go around to hold me up with my back and I took another shaky breath out.

"They're Jews, Eugene….they're…..people," I said in a shuttering breath.

"I know…I know _chere_." He whispered back, his own voice sounding raw. I blinked away the few tears I knew I had inside of me since I wasn't ready for him to see me cry just yet. I just needed that moment to just breathe in through the pain and the sadness that I was feeling, whether or not I was ready for it, and breathe out the calm that I knew I was supposed to have.

Finally, I moved away from him supporting my weight and trying to ease me down. I rubbed my face with my hand to calm my own self down before I looked over at Eugene, seeing him watch me carefully and I saw his face. He looked out of it too, from what he saw and he looked like he was mostly in shell shock.

"I'm okay," I reassured him, thinking that it would make it better. But even the look on his face, watching me like a hawk, I knew that it was not going to fly with him. He stayed silent for a moment or two before he finally spoke out to me.

"No, you're not." I knew he didn't mean it like a bad thing, nor was it supposed to make me feel terrible. He was staring the truth and we both needed to hear it. I didn't want to argue with him, nor did I have the stomach to really be okay with all of it I had to face the reality of it all.

"No, I'm not okay."


	26. Chapter 26

"How bad was it, Captain?" I took in my own shaky breath when I was talking on the phone with Captain Matthews, after taking my own moment to collect myself and get my now head back in order and in check. It was still coming over me and itching underneath my skin in a bad way. It was going to be a nightmare that was never going to go away. And yet I had to walk around as if it was just another day in the army.

I had to keep an eye out on my own unit, seeing them take their own toll with what they saw in that camp. They were breaking down too, but as they were trained to do, they weren't showing it at all. For some reason that bothered me, since I knew far too well what every once in awhile a release was needed in order to be sane and a normal person.

"It's bad, Captain Matthews," I replied on the phone. I was still near the jeep, using one of the communication phones that was brought over in the jeep. Medics and doctors from Regiment were coming to check on the men, not to mention Colonel Sink who got word with what was happening and he too had to come out and see for himself. Things were not looking food at all with others in Easy were out in town and getting blankets and food, along with water for the prisoners.

"Well I just got word from headquarters: there are plenty more of these camps being found all over. The Germans knew we were coming and they left those people behind in the camp," He explained, already having me feel my own heart fall to my feet then as I saw Winters walking over to me, maybe talking to me about what the next step was going to be when it came to deal with this and the camp that we saw.

"I looked at the coordinates that you gave me where you are and the camp you're at: there's a women's camp about 10 miles out East, along the railroad line. I was giving orders to have Black Mamba go and liberate that camp," I froze, clenching the handle of the phone really tight. That was enough to make me want to vomit there with the phone still in my hand.

"A women's camp, sir?" I asked, Winters hearing me and almost looking grave himself. He didn't like what he was hearing as well as I.

"Yes, ma'am. They ask for your assistance to help liberate the camp." What was I going to say to him? That I didn't want to take Back Mamba since we've been through enough for anyone to handle? I couldn't say no since he was still technically in charge of us and he was still going to be calling the shots. I still had to listen to him, even if it felt like it would be the worst idea.

"We'll go, sir," I replied into the phone receiver, praying to God that it didn't sound catty or mean since I would be talking to my superior.

"Good. You'll be the primary unit that will help with the liberation with a couple of others that are on their way over there. Let Major Winters know that you're going to need some of those jeeps that they have. I suspect that it will not be a long-term mission after you help aid the prisoners there, and you can return back to Easy Company if Major Winters will let you." Captain Matthews instructed me.

"Yes sir," I replied.

"I'll get in contact with you soon enough about the future of Black Mamba soon enough. Don't worry, Captain. I'll keep you posted," He ended on that note, "Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, sir," I hung up the phone, breathing out a heavy silent groan then since I knew we were going to go through another round of this kind of turmoil. I finally looked eyes with Winters, seeing him once again watch me like a hawk for some kind of reaction. Was he looking for weakness? Doubtful since he's been a good enough leader to me since I teamed up with Easy Company.

"I need tow jeeps to take Black Mamba out to the camp 10 miles from here," I explained to him calmly, seeing him still watch me for a moment or two more before he nodded his head slowly.

"Done," He replied, "I'll make sure you can use two of the jeeps here," He didn't say anything again after that, having me see that he wanted to ask me, or tell me something, but it was on the tip of his tongue really. I didn't want him to say anything really since I felt like I've gone through enough.

"Captain," he finally voiced, keeping his eyes on me, "Are you going to need some assistance for the other camp?"

"No thank you, sir," I replied, breathing out another wave of anxiety that I was feeling. Black Mamba still had to be strong enough to deal with whatever could come our way. He said nothing else as I saluted him quickly and walked away from him, gulping down what I really want to say. I wanted to tell him to keep us behind, to keep helping these people that were still barely alive.

All in all, I wanted this whole thing to stop.

* * *

I pulled up to the hotel once again, the second jeep behind us as none of us were saying a single word. We were all too stunned to say anything, all four what we saw at the women's camp was the icing on the cakes of this disastrous day.

Something within us shifted.

I didn't know if it was because they were excepting men, or that we were looking more concerned about them, but they were looking at us in pure shock when we got to their camp in our jeeps. It was a smaller camp, fewer prisoners but it still felt the same as before. The looks on their faces and the feeling within the bottoms of their feet were making me feeling beyond terrible about their situation. I didn't think I would see so many faces that were lost, confused as to why this was happening to them, and sadness. So much sadness.

Not only was the image bad enough, but the smell of the rotting flesh of those who already died. It was almost too much for Harper, and I knew O'Neal was going to have some kind of panic attack at any moment. But they handled in a way that made me beyond proud. They had to be strong for the sake of the prisoners there, even after the plenty of hugs and support that we were given them, it felt like it was not enough at all.

Once Stanton turned off the jeep, the other jeep behind us now was turning off as well, we were still quiet and zoning out from the previous events. I didn't know how we were going to handle this and handle this delicately. The others were slowly getting out of the jeeps and just stand there within the quiet street of that town. It was the early night, not a single soul was out and about, and it felt like the whole world just stopped and stood still within a moment or so.

"Captain," I finally looked up and over, seeing O'Neal watching me with her uneasy eyes and her body language was showing me that she was about to collapse. Even her breathing was uneasy, and it was starting to scare me a bit now as she spoke up once again right at me, "What do we do?"

What do we do?

What was I going to tell her now that we saw all of the horrors that were there in that camp? It was such a simple question that seemed to be ringing in my ears over and over again as I saw their faces, all of their faces, right in my head and I could hear them all crying out to me in German for help and assistance. But to me back to our normal routine in the army, after seeing and witnessing that?

I just looked at dead on in the eyes, the others were watching for me as I said two words that were not going to be enough.

"We live."

* * *

"Thank you for the report, Captain. This is highly valuable for other camps that are still being liberated and discovered," I stood at attention in front of Colonel Sink, as well as Major Winters and Captains Nixon and Spiers. I wrote out a report about the camp and what I saw right after I debriefed the girls that same night, knowing that I was not going to sleep. I couldn't sleep, even if I tried. So I wrote it down instead, both in the report and a spare journal that I found in the room that I was staying in for the night.

"I take it that the others in your unit are doing well despite the situation at hand," Sink said to me as he was sitting behind a makeshift desk.

"Yes sir," I replied, since calling him out on his bluff wouldn't be the safest thing at this point. Was not ready for a fight, not yet.

"The companies here in town handled the liberation in both the men and women's camp very highly and with great respect, " He complimented to me, having me nod my head once.

"Thank you, sir. Black Mamba as performed to the highest of their ability,"

"There's no doubt in that, Captain. And with the war coming to a close here in Europe, there is talk as to who is going to stay on here in Europe to finish it off, or go to the Pacific," He paused, watching me dead in the eye now as I felt a small twinge of fear about this,"I haven't make the total announcement just yet about this, but there will be Companies and units that are going to be assigned to go overseas, with the exception for those who have enough points to go home. I have told the other officers, and now you all in the room including Major Winters, to not tell your men until the proper time." I licked my lips then, finally having enough courage to ask him what I knew I needed to since I was getting the feeling that the war was coming to an end and fast.

"Sir, may I ask you a question?" I asked, wanting to sound polite about it.

"Of course, Captain," Sink replied smoothly.

"I wish to know what will happen to Black Mamba after we are done here in Europe," There seemed to be some kind of long pregnant pause that was there in the room since it felt like I was letting the cat of the bag. I wondered what Winters, Nixon, and Spiers were thinking when I asked that, if I was too bold or too wild to ask such a thing to Colonel Sink. Sink even thought about it himself, but in huge shock as I thought he would, but in more genuine thought. He sat back a bit in his chair and had a sincere look in his eyes as he watched me.

"Black Mamba has greatly improved and performance beyond highest expectations when it comes to the reputation of our Special operations Unit in the army. I will in doubt look to the ethics and practices of your unit in the future units that will come later in the army career. But unfortunately, it is not my decision to make, though I am one of the ones who will make it.

"I'm not the sole decision in this matter, but I will reassure you that I will be speaking on your behalf and inhales of have you and your unit continues to fight with the paratroopers, even in the Pacific." Sink explained thoroughly. I had to believe him then, I really had to since he wouldn't lie about something like this to me. Even with the whispers that were going on behind our backs and people looking at us in an interesting way. In the end, I had to believe Sink and know that he was still going to take some good care of us.

"If you wish to sir, I can also speak on the behalf of Black Mamba as well as the Captain here with her leadership," Winters said behind me, a small twinge of warmth in my own heart fluttered a bit when he said that. He too sounded so sure about this whole situation that was at hand, and Sink looked past me at him.

"I'll take it into consideration Winters. You're a reasonable ally anyhow, if I can't convince the other officers in charge of this situation then maybe you can," Sink commented to him, almost sounded a but sassy himself now as he said that to Winters. I wanted to crack smile but I stayed still when Sinks looked at me one more time.

"Like I said, I'll let you know if something does come up and it'll need your undivided attention. As for now, just train and work alongside Easy as you haven done."

* * *

Thalem, Germany

April 1944

"Let's help theses citizens out with the debris."

"Sure thing, Captain."

I moved within the small square that we were in, helping move some of the major furniture that was in the way with the Germans that were there. There was a big raid in the town, buildings that were crumbled halfway or in the corner with bricks everywhere and wood all over the ground. Furniture and old torn things were scattered amongst the cobbled square where we were walking around. The others in Easy, a few of them really, were perched on the second floor of an abandoned building, watching out of the opening from a blown bit out of the building.

That when I heard it, the soft playing of a violin from one of the citizens that were there in the square. It sounded so haunting and almost beautiful at the same time, making me pause for a split second as the rest of Black Mamba was going on with the cleaning duties. I couldn't help but watch the violinist play with all that was going on around him, and then seeing another person join him with a viola and another with the cello. I didn't know if they had something like this planned, but it was somehow well placed in the setting. It felt like it was giving the whole place some sense of color, and it almost made me think back to when I was being a ballerina again as a child.

It almost killed me hearing that music.

People were still moving around, and while I was getting another heap of rubble out of the way to find something underneath the large mass. It made me pause, really pause now and almost loose it under my feet since the small taint of pink was in contrast of the gray and black rubble around it. The item was so small but it was bright enough for me to see it.

Ballerina slippers.

"Black Mamba, we're moving out in an hour to the next town over, be ready for immediate takeoff," I heard Spiers say off from afar near us but probably at the corner of the square. The music was still playing while I reached down to touch the outlines of the slippers that were still down near my own feet. As soon as I touched the slippers, feeling the faint silk fabric of the shoes, I closed my eyes in defeat. This might have belonged to one little girl that lived here, that called this place home, that wanted to grow up and be a dancer.

It sounded like me.

"Captain?" I looked away from the slipper finally, coming back to the cruel reality that si the town and I saw the others in Black Mamba watching me. Spiers was standing a bit away from the rest of us, watching me very closely now as if he was waiting for me to snap. But I wasn't moving, not even an inch since I didn't want to spook the others that were close by. They were watching me, hell at the point it felt like all of the group that in the entire square was watching me. Did they see me with the slippers? Did they really know how it made me feel? I breathed out slowly, only hoping that it was enough for them to know that whatever I was going through was going to affect me.

"Yes, sir," I answered.

* * *

May 1945

Bavaria

Sunshine never felt better. at least for me really. Since we've been going from town to town, going on regular patrols and also helping out other companies that were doing the same around Europe. I was left back in the company of Easy as the rest of the girls were going to go back to their own assigned companies. As of thus far, we had no real missions that were needed for all of us.

We were sitting, and waiting.

All I could do as a Captain was help the training programs for the boys to go through if we were ever to go over to the Pacific. That in itself was a sticky situation for me since I have no real clue if Black Mamba was going to head over with them if the war was still going to go on. Sink never got back to me since I gave him the reports about the camp we discovered, and as the days were going by, it was feeling less and less of a reality that we were going to have any kind of say in the whole situation.

That afternoon, after another vigorous round of going over protocol and paperwork for Black Mamba in the next few months, I decided to have my own alone time underneath some of the trees in the town we were in before we were going to move out in early evening. We were slowly making our way over to the heart of Germany where we knew the Germans fell, our success in the war was getting higher and higher, with the threat being slimmer and slimmer. All we could do now was just keeping moving, keep our heads together and straight ahead, and to not loose focus.

Not loose focus….right…

The weather was beyond warm, even or May. The breeze seeped into the air as I was watching the movements of the lake and the cooling ripples of the water that was dancing because of the breeze itself. I could even smell the flowers that were blossoming on the mountaintops nearby, thanks to the wind bringing down the scent. everything was in Technicolor, at least it felt like it compared to the recent months in both the cold and the camps.

It felt os quiet, the first time it felt so quiet for me in quite some time, but it was soon interrupted by the sounds of footsteps behind me. They were soft and quiet, almost like a leisurely walk instead of one with a structure or need.

"Captain?"

I knew that voice, having me slowly look over to see Eugene walking over to me with his hands in his pockets. He was watching me carefully, as he would usually do, with his hands in his pockets and his black hair almost shining in the light of the day. He looked different without his sachet around his shoulder that would be hanging off his hip since I was so used to him clutching the strap in front of him. The way he looked at me, it must have been odd for him to see me with my own hair down and regular army jacket was undone. I always look combat ready to go, stern in the face and professional. This, with my hair flowing and almost knotted in some places and my jacket unbuttoned.

"You don't have to call me Captain, Eugene," I reminded him, seeing him give me a sheepish smile as he would always do with me, "Lookin' for me?"

"Wanted to check on ya," He corrected as he carefully walked over to sit next to me on the grass, looking out at the lake in front of us. Neither one of us said a word, but the fact that we were sitting together close enough to hold hands was enough. I haven't been able to have time with just Eugene in what felt like years, we both were busy with our own jobs and duties. I missed his presence alone, just a silly thing to miss but it was so true. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing with me, and I was afraid to ask him.

"I realized that we haven't been together like this in awhile," I voiced, sounding a bit off when I said it, "I feel terrible about it."

"Don't be. You're a captain, you have a unit to run," Eugene reassured me, having me look at his profile as he was still watching the lake in front of the both of us. Another thing that I thought about since I heard of Black Mamba maybe going to the Pacific or going home, I thought of Eugene. I thought of what we started together, whether we were ready for it to not, and how the future was once again going to be out in the open for the both of us to figure out. I had to ask him, or let him know what could happen. I slowly reached over to touch his hand that was resting on his leg that was folded, feeling him lace our fingers together without hesitance there.

"We might have to go to the Pacific," I stated, seeing him not move as he was still watching the lake and scan it with his eyes. I looked ahead too, thinking that it would help me clear my head.

"I know, Spina and I don't have the points to head home even if we could," He replied to me, then slowly looking for at me and stay very still, "What about you?"

"What about me?" I asked, feeling him squeeze my hand in his own in a silent plea to just look at him. I finally did, seeing him stare at me with worry there all over his face. I didn't what to see that on him, but it felt like I knew what he was going to ask me.

"You can go home, can't you?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

"I doubt it, Eugene," I said to him, having that sink in with the both of us. It fell over him, not in the best way that I wanted, but I saw him slowly release our joined hands and then get up from the ground. He stood, having me watch him in fear now as he walked over a bit to the edge of the small beach in front of us at the lake. He stood there, facing away from me and my heart sank. I then knew why he asked me that: he wanted me to go home.

He wanted me safe.

"It's not up to me," I reminded him softly, slowly up myself and standing in my own spot. a still said nothing, I said him clench the frantic of his pants with his fingers as some kind of anchor, "They're still on the fence about Black Mamba helping out in the Pacific. I have a feelin' they're going to send us home since we're not doing missions anymore."

"They can still send you with us, though," He muttered, sounding like he was in pain, having me rub my face with a hint of frustration. I slowly walked over, not wanting to scare him or have him move. I grasped his hand in my own again, but I held onto him tight in my fist.

"I'm confused by this whole thing, what they want and what they don't want. I've been confused since Captain Josephine died, and all I wanna do is just…..be here with you," I confessed to him, seeing the sun reflect off the lake surface and Eugene finally looked at me. The pain was there on his face, really there for me to just watch and feel and for inflicting. I watched him too, almost giving him and giving him a sad smile.

With all that was going on in my life since I came to the army, it felt I had no real voice in my own decisions. Becoming a Captain without choosing to, taking a risk and almost dying at the hands of Germans while crossing a freezing river, thinking that I was invincible. It was all coming over so quickly and like a rushing river, and yet I was watching the one person that I knew would calm me and make me feel safe. I felt safe with him, I felt free with him, as if we weren't in the army and just two people.

"What we have, between you and me, is the only thing I really have some kind of control over. I don't wanna lose it," I said in a shaky tone, Eugene scanning my eyes to see that I was about to cry. It was true: Eugene was the one thing I didn't want to lose. After we met years ago and how we grew together, it was the only pure thing I had there in the army.

"I don't wanna loose the one person I'm in love with."

A tear fell, hitting my cheek and rolling off to stain my jacket. Eugene breathed out a shaky breath from seeing me shed a tear, then pulled me into a hug that felt so warm, even in the warm afternoon. I wrapped my arms around him, not saying a word but just holding him close since it was rare that we could do something like this. It seemed like he didn't care that we were hugging out in the open, and I didn't mind either. All I cared about was Eugene, and how I confessed to him that I loved him. He wrapped both arms around me, around my lower back and one hand in my hair, breathing in as I was breathing out.

"You're not gonna lose me," he reminded me of a simple promise and a hushed tone. I squeezed him tighter, thinking that holding him close would be enough for me to forget the fear that I had about the both of us not being together. With the one phrase, he said next was enough for me to think that we could go through whatever was going to come next. It was the first time he ever said it, and it felt like the world was spinning so fast.

"Je t'aime."


	27. Chapter 27

"When are we expecting the engineers to arrive?"

"About a half an hour ago."

"We're stuck here until they do, Nix."

The explosion shook the ground, having me blink a few times before I watched with the others in the jeeps and trucks that were parked ways away from the blast against the blocked roads. Once again it was a normal hot day, and we were waiting along a roadside, against a cliff high in the Alps to get through a blockade that was apparently placed there by the SS. Since Hitler killed himself back in April, he still gave out orders for his officers to hold Berchtesgaden much longer than he would have lived. They used the town as one of their meeting spots and places to live, mostly for the higher officers.

"Could they make it louder?" Joe grumbled next to me. We both were leaning against the jeep that was a bit away from where Captain Nixon and Captain Winters were talking to each other in their own jeep.

"I think they could," I replied back to Joe, seeing him smirk a bit from my reply. I kept my eyes on the Captain there, seeing Spiers walk over to Nixon and Winters and talk to them in earnest with his eyes and almost a hint of his tone. I huffed, moving away from joe and walking over to the other thinking that I should be present, "Keep my post will ya Joe?"

"You got it, Captain," Joe replied to me. I looked over my shoulder at him one more time before I found myself with the higher ups in the middle of the road. Already I could tell that there was some tension in the air.

"So the French are going to beat us to the Eagle's best?" Spiers asked, already not liking what was proposed. I walked in just in time.

"Are we racin' the French?" I asked all three of them, Nixon smirking and Winter watched me with his stoic blue eyes.

"Apparently so since we can't move without Sink," Winters explained to me, "Black Mamba doesn't have any special weapons or bombs that we could use to move this along faster, do they?"

"If we did and I told you, I would have to kill you, Major," I commented back to him, Spiers and I hearing a jeep rolling up and we both over back just in time to see that Sink was sitting in the jeep passenger side. We saluted him as soon as he was close enough.

"Kids, I just had a conversation with General LeClerc. He told me he was first into Paris and now he wanted to be first into Berchtesgaden," Sink told the group of us, another explosion going off on the small hill of rubble and rock. Once again the group beneath us shook in a fast rattle, a bit more intense compared to the last one.

"I told him I understood his point," Sink paused, inhaling some of his cigar before he eyed Winters, "Now you fire up 2nd battalion and outflank that French son of a bitch."

"Yes, sir," Winters answered, Sink then looking over in my direction.

"Captain Bellerose, I'm almost letting you know that Black Mamba has gone nothing but good criticism from the other Companies that your soldiers helped in the past 6 to 7 months. You're making good headway with your leadership," I saluted him when he said that to me, a small hint of pride was within me now compared to how it was last time.

"Thank you, sir," I thanked.

"Just be aware that we are still talking about the matter that we had previously. I'll keep you in the loop in case something does happen and a decision is made, you'll be the first to know," I nodded my head at him. At least he wasn't going to be keeping me in the dark since I thought that would be the case.

"I appreciate that, sir." I thanked him one more time, and even with that topic till being a bit of s stickler in my own mouth, at least it was still on the table with him. The jeep he was in started up again, backing him with Winters now walking over to both Spiers and me once again.

"I want Easy Company in the lead with Black Mamba. Assemble down on the Autobahn," Winters explained to the both of us in a hushed tone.

"Yes, sir," Spiers said first, then looking at me with a small smirk on his face, "I'll flip a coin with you as to who will get it first."

"You wanna flip for it?" I asked, almost amused by the whole thought of it, "Did Captain Spiers make a joke with me?"

"Oh boy," Nixon even commented as Spier just smirked, showing his hands in his pockets and Winters just smiled silently in front of the both of us.

"Play nice you two."

* * *

Berchtesgaden

The place itself was way too much of a dream. It was nestled within the Alps, almost hidden from sight, and the kind of place that I would imagine when I would read a fairytale. It was that kind of a place. With beautiful looking buildings, cobbled streets and even flowers found throughout the area along the green grass, it was picturesque. The only thing that we saw that seemed series, well two things that we saw, was that for one thing, we saw literally no one there in town.

It was deserted, which lead to the second thing: white flags everywhere.

No one spoke as we were rolling into town, Black Mamba was walking alongside some of the others while the rest of the officers were in their jeeps. It felt odd that we didn't see another soul there, and everything felt like it was frozen in time.

"Eerie," Harry Welsch pointed out in his jeeps with Nixon and Winters, "Not even any natives."

"That's because being in this town you can't deny being a true Nazi," Nixon answered.

"What do you mean?"

"You have to be to live here," Nixon answered again, having me look over at the other girls who also overheard him telling Welsh what he knew. I could tell that left an uneasiness in their own minds, that you had to be a Nazi in order to live there. It felt pretty unreal that we were walking the streets and town hat Nazis lived in, having their own lives and thinking that they wouldn't be the ones on the run.

"Keep your heads on, Black Mamba," I reminded them, seeing them all nod their heads back at me and we keep walking forwards, some of the other Easy men were walking with us took looking around at all of the buildings and maybe having that same feeling in their stomachs too.

"We need to find some place we can put the colonel," Winters said to Welsch and Nixon. Nixon motioned with his head over to the building that was a bit around the corner, where there was at least 3 Nazi flags hanging out the windows. It felt like we found the buildings where headquarters were.

"How about right there," He pointed out, taking the others in the jeep to stop in front of the building. They all hopped out, having me look back at Black Mamba who was still walking behind me.

"Wait here," I instructed, seeing them nod their heads and salute me. I saluted back, following some of the men inside. It felt like I was going into some kind of hotel, the dark room panels on the wall and stairs cases, the wooden furniture that was polished, and the feeling of ancient history was within there too. Not to mention the large marble head bust of Hitler there right in the front.

I followed the soldiers that were going through the first floor, seeing how there was nothing really left that they wanted to leave behind. Mostly the flags the were still up, but everything else felt like it was kept intact. I went over to the dining room, seeing tables and chairs lined up as if they were waiting to be used by anyone that wanted to use them, and before I could blink, I could hear something crashing and someone running out of the door.

"What the hell," I walked over at a brisk pace, two more men including Winters being me as we saw someone escaping through the back door. I was stunned, thinking that we might have spooked whoever it was, but it was Welsh that sped past me to what crashed, a chest of some sort that was still propped up and he opened it. Inside the chest was silverware, polished beyond measure and it seemed as thought there were at least two hundred pieces.

"Kitty would love this," Welsch said in glee as took off his helmet.

"Kitty?" I asked him now as Winters grinned at me while he walked over to witness Harry as well.

"His fiancé back at home," He explained.

"How many brides get a wedding present from Hitler?" Harry asked in amusement as he filled his helmet with forks and knives. Winters came to examine some of the utensils there with me standing there in awe with what I was seeing.

"You wanna take half?" Harry asked Winters," I can't carry all of this. Whoever comes in here after us will take what isn't nailed down.

"Well, wouldn't want that to happen," Winters said in amusement as he took off his own helmet to do the same. He looked over at me and motioned with his head, "You can come get some too, I won't say a word."

"How nice of our Major," Harry joked, but I shook my head.

"I shouldn't," I reasoned, but Winters shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't mind you taking at least a few pieces, they could be valuable," Winters explained, having me pause a bit more now before I finally decided to reach in and grab the first three pieces that I could grab: one knife and two spoons.

"Fair enough," Winters added as he saw me instantly shove them in my pocket, Spiers and some others walked into the room just in time. He went over to the same chest, about to reach in when Harry snatched his hand and moved it away.

"Don't even think about it," he said to Spiers, having me chuckle a bit and looked around the room. I did feel out of place, not because I was in an army outfit in what seem to be some kind of palace, but it was an excuse of who stayed here before we came. Who walked these halls, who used those utensils to eat, and who looked out these same windows that showed the high Alps. It was eerie, and almost frightening now that we were in there and taking their things.

Even the Alps made me feel small, the green Alps that were reaching up to almost touch heaven itself was making me feel beyond small. I wondered what it would have been like, for those leaders who stayed here and thought they wouldn't be touched. Did they think that nothing would break them, even the outside world?

Did they know that they were going to fail?

"Captain Bellerose," I looked once more to see Winters walked over to me, "I was going to see if you wanted to have Black Mamba now with Easy up to the Eagle's Nest to take it over."

"If you think that would be wise," I said in agreement.

"We don't know what we're going to find up there, and though we might be the first one up there, you never though if there would be some kind of obstacle that Hitler and his men left behind. We don't want to take any chances," Winters explained, having me nod my head.

"Agreed," I admitted, "We'll go on a precise patrol of the area to make sure that the area is secure,"

"I can have Easy help with that," Winter reasoned as we were standing together near the window, seeing him look out over to where the Alps were. It was a moment or two of silence when I looked out too, seeing once again the high peaks the were reaching up to the sky almost like stretching hands.

"Do you think they knew we were coming?" I asked out of the blue, that question itself was haunting my mind, "Did any of them know what was going to happen?"

"They had to have known, I would think," Winters answered, his voice jut as calm as the plants of other times we talked with each other either about the army or personal matters. He had a god point: they had to have known that they had to get out before we came through. That small brink of panic that filled their hearts and they knew they were losing the chance of a win.

They have to have known.

* * *

"Currahee!" Some of the Black Mamba unit was running up the winding road that was leading to Eagle's Nest, whereas I was in one of the trucks that were leading the way. I couldn't help but grin as the rigs were running just as fast of the boy, if not after as if it was a challenge as to who was going to get up there first and take out the Eagle's Nest. I couldn't help but look up as well, seeing the building at the top and how it looked like it was really extravagant and delicate. Of course, it would be the last line of defense that Hitler had, his own home that he would use, which made the anticipation of getting up there to see what he left behind even more of a certain high that we were feeling.

Eugene stayed behind in the town, wanting to find a place to sleep and see if they had a hospital in town for himself and Spina to snagged left behind medication. For a second I wanted him to come with us, but I was glad he didn't. Knowing Eugene this wasn't his kind of a deal to go with and to witness himself. I told him I would find him after we took Eagle's Nest, since having some time with him as been long overdue.

After our own talk that we had together some days before, with the topic on how I could be doing him in The Pacific, I realized that we told each other that we loved each other. That was a true first, admitting that out loud, and yet I wondered when it would be the right time to say it. Sure, I knew I loved him for a long time, but then again it was the first time we verbally said it. It was sure something, and it caused a shift in me.

A shift I never thought would happen, given my track record.

Once the doors were opened and some of Easy already went inside to go as a first wave of patrols, I walked in with Black Mamba right behind me, looking around in the entryway of the home.

"Make a patrol of outside and make sure it's secure," I instructed them, "O'Neal, stay with me."

"You got it, Captain," They others replied, going off as O'Neal walked with me into the main meeting space. For a palace that was meant for Hitler, it seemed a bit bare. The lush chairs that were arranged around to face each other, some of the coffee tables that have beautiful carvings along the sides, and even the tone walls and high windows were still bare, giving no sense of a life that lived here. A wall filled top and bottom with books were seen, and I had a hankering to go over to look at the titles but I kept looking around, my second in command hot on my heels.

One of the hallways leads us down to the right, down a few steps, and around the corner to find a few other rooms, mostly bedrooms. The bed themselves looked like they would fit at least 5 people in them, if not 6. The luxurious sheets and comforters along with pillows, carpeted floors and elegant wallpapers, I felt like I was transported to another place in time.

"Damn," O'Neal said in awe as we walked into another room. The high windows were showing the alps, now almost like they were below us instead of above us. I couldn't put the right words together myself, and I didn't want to. It was hard to think that this kind of room, this kind of home really, used to belong to someone like Hitler, a monster like Hitler.

"I know this might be something that does not sound like something we would ever do…but given the circumstances of our situation being in Hitler's house…" O'Neal trailed off, having me look over at her and see her give me an inquiring look. I grinned.

"Grab what you want, and let the others know too," I instructed her, seeing a bit wolfish grin on her face then as she went around to see what she could snag and have in their pocket before I could blink and speak to her again. For me, I didn't feel like looting a whole bunch of silver or gold to go back to America. I have no need of it, but I wasn't going to condemn the others for having a need to do so. Since it felt like things were winding down in the war itself, it wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

In the end, I found myself back outside at one of the wrap around porches that the house and to offer. The cool crisp air out in the open instead of being in that house was all that I needed in the end. and I felt a bit better after that. with all of the talk about whether or not we could go home, taking expensive utensils of jewelry to send home, it was getting to my head slowly and surely. I was still figuring out what was going to happen to Black Unit, and most of all, what was going to happen with me.

On one hand, if I went on to the Pacific, that would mean more obstacles that would have to be huddled over and accomplished. The girls in the unit have already gone through enough for one long lifetime and for them to go through it again with no question asked, to have another set of people to listen to and to take orders from other than me. It wouldn't be fair, then again none of this war was fair enough. Even for the men who fought and were going to the Pacific without any choice in the matter.

Nothing was fair.

On the other hand, being sent home was going to be another obstacle in itself. I didn't really warm up to the notion of going home with my family, that was still a bit too raw for me really and too much of a reality check. Did they know all hat I did in this war? Would they care? I knew they would, they were going to see me in a brand new light that was going to taint my reputation amongst them. Was I ready for that? My head, logically, it was telling me not to worry about it. But my own heart was telling me otherwise.

But the one thing that was really worrying me, most of all, was Eugene.

Where was he going to end up in the end? It would be beyond hard for the both of us if we were both going t o go to the Pacific together or be separated. Either way, we were looking at a battle in front of us and we had to be aware that this was not going to be easy. I knew life was no cakewalk, even in the war. But falling in love while in the war, that was taboo enough.

what were we going to do?

After a few minutes alone, I could hear some of the men strolling onto the outdoor where I was, and from what I could hear it was Nixon, Spiers, and Welsch talking to each other. I got up slowly, walking around the corner seeing them all sit at a couple of the chairs, and I could tell they were already having a good time with some of the alcohol that was still present at the house. Nixon was lounging back in a chair, Spiers was sitting on the lower half of that same chair and Harry was across from them.

"Heya Captain!" Nixon said in a warm tone, leaning back in his chair, "Didn't hear you back there."

"Well I heard ya'll, sounding like little school girls," I joked with him, Spiers grinning a bit too wide and Harry chuckling a drunk hiccup on his lips.

"Can't help but love the small stash that Hitler left us. So nice of him," Nixon explained as Spiers playfully slapped his arm.

"How does it go again? That joke?" He asked now as Nixon clear his throat, "Something like The Paper and then Goering…."

"No, Goddamn it, listen. Hitler Hirtler…no. Hitler, Himmler, Goering, Goebbels and The Pope walk into a bar…" I leaned against the balcony side, watching the three of them talking about some joke when Winters and Lipton walked over to join the party.

"Hey, Adolf! Love your Eagle's Nest. I hope you don't mind," Harry said in glee to Winters as he hugged him, "We made ourselves at home. Love what you did with the place. Have a drink! Come on, Just so we can say we saw you do it."

"Listen up," Winters said as Lipton walked over to stand next to me. Winters wrestled out a piece of paper, a grin still on his face from Harry's antics, "From Crops, just came in, effective immediately: 'all troops stand fast on present position'."

Harry stood up straight, though I could see he was still leaning, I had to hold back a chuckle that was threatening to come out. Lipton rolled his eyes next to me.

"Standing fast," Nixon commented.

"What does the mean?" Spiers asked quietly.

"Wanna hear it?" Winter asked a drunk Harry in a smirk. Harry chuckled and nodded his head, "Ready for it? Listen up. Germany's army surrendered."

You could hear a pin drop there in the area since no one said a single word.

I looked at Winters with wide eyes, instantly having my mouth open and Harry had a stunned look on his face. Spiers and Nixon sat up starlight like they were electrocuted. It was only Lipton and Winters that were calm about the news, they heard it earlier I guess.

"Oh Hell," I said in a gasp, Lipton giving me a surprising look now as I said that. I closed my mouth and he grinned from ear to ear, giving me a hug to show that he was glad to hear the news as well. I hugged him tightly, almost chuckling as he almost lifting me off from the ground. Nixon and Winters were walking away, Winters saying he had a present for Nixon as Lipton placed me on the ground.

"This is amazing news!" I said to Lipton as he nodded in agreement and Harry hugged me as well. After he released me and hugged Lipton, I knew that I had to go talk to at least one person that I knew would want to hear the news.

I needed to find Eugene.

* * *

"Where's Eugene?" I ran down the street and down to the small little lobby of one of the hotels we took over. Inside was Spina, Babe, Perconte and Luz, all playing cards with each other and they shot up when I came in running like a bat out of hell. They looked at me in shock since I was out of breath and looking a bit crazy in the eyes.

"Eugene?" Babe asked, almost confused.

"She means Doc, Babe." Luz said to him in almost a mocking tone as he looked at me, "He's in the back." I walked past the group of them over to the back room where Luz was pointing to.

"I knew she meant Doc. I just never heard anyone use his full name before, damn Luz!" Babe hissed at Luz now as I was walking farther away.

"Don't ya know? Captain Bellerose is the only one who calls him Eugene….other than Winters. But still," Spina explained to the group as I finally pushed open the door. It was a small room filled with old books, some of them were already in there and others were obviously brought in from other rooms that were abandoned. A desk was resting in the middle, where a hunched over Eugene Roe was reading a book with his hand in his inky black hair and his eyes scanning. But once I entered the room and slammed the door shut, he snapped his head up to look at me.

"Olive?" He asked as I grinned at him.

"I have on good authority some news that cannot leave this room," I said in a huff. Eugene got up from the chair and stood behind the desk, still keeping his intense stare on me.

"What is it?" He asked, in which I took my own deep breath.

"Germany surrendered," I said in a breath, seeing his eyes slowly go wide and then he grinned. I saw literal sunshine bursting through from his smile at me, and it made me smile back at him. Sure, it was no real sign that we could go home, but it was closer to the war being finally over and done with. It was another step for us to get out of here, and I was going to take it. Instantly, Eugene ran around the table and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me so tight I didn't think I could breathe. I sighed in his embrace, hugging him back and fearing not to let go.

"It doesn't mean that we're done in the war, but it's better than nothing," I reminded him, seeing him pulled back and shake his head at me with his smile still on his face.

"It's fine by me. Best new I heard in awhile," He explained, having em raise an eyebrow at him.

"Other than the fact I said I loved you?" I challenged, seeing him just give me a smirk, which seemed more innocent than anything.

"This is the second best thing I heard in awhile then," I rearranged his words then as I gave him a quick kiss, feeling him kiss me back.

"This is one more step and then we can go home," I reassured him, seeing him think for a moment or two to himself as he wrapped his arms around my lower waist to bring me close to him. This was a new side to him that I never saw before, and he's never done this with me before since we were mostly out in the open.

"I wanted to talk to ya about that," He explained, "After we get to go home when we get to go home…I wanted to know if you wanted to live together." I was a bit shocked that he would ask that, out of the blue. It wasn't a huge shock since I thought about that too for a bit since the war was coming to a close sooner than I thought, but then again a lot of people were thinking about what they were going to do when we were going to be sent home. Eugene was on my mind, and now he was the one who brought it up.

"Really?" I asked, and he saw the look on my face and was about to panic.

"I know it might be a bit out of the blue for me to ask, but I was thinkin' a lot and we don't have to do if you don't want to—"

"Eugene, shut up," I said to him, seeing him instantly go quiet with a look like a deer in the headlights. I just smiled at him and placed a few fingers in his black hair and I felt show soft it was, even after the plenty of times it was under a helmet to protect him from being hurt.

"I want to live with you," I reassured him, "I really do. It just there me for a loop with the recent news and all,"

"You don't hav'ta if you don't wanna," He reminded me.

"Of course I do. I already established my feelin's for ya, so don't think you're getting out of this one," I playfully scolded him, seeing him chuckle and hug me again. I felt a small wave of relief come over me, even in that small room hidden from the rest of the world and we both were well fed and had a bed. I didn't want to think about whether or not Black Mamba was going to the Pacific or not.

All that mattered, was that I had a home. A home with Eugene.


	28. Chapter 28

Austria

May 1945

Stranton's back hit the ground hard as Dunkle threw her over her shoulder. The others watched and gasped "OOhhh" as her back hit the grass floor in a heap. I walked over to her, reaching down to help her back up as she bounced back on her feet.

"Again."

It was one of the more warmer days in Austria, another place we settled in until we knew where we were going to go next. Once we left Berchtesgaden behind us, we found ourselves in another small little Jewel of Europe, Austria.

Easy Company, along with Black Mamba, were now occupation forces, and no longer combat units. Because of VE day, Victory in Europe, we no longer were active there but just waiting for the signal to head back to The Pacific and help with war along that territory. We got word of VE day back in Berchtesgaden, and it was a sight of relief for most, if not all of us.

Still, we had to be ready in case Black Mamba was going to be sent to help with the rest of the war. I had the girls do drills, sprang with one another, making sure theta they were in top shape if we were ever needed. In the back of my mind, I hoped we weren't needed, but I had to be more reasonable and fair than optimistic.

"It's bee years since we've done this with each other, don't forget," I reminded Dunkle and Stranton as they were sparring with one another. The rest of the girls circled around them, watching them in the middle and I was walking along the side of the circle, "We need to stay sharp and alert. The war is over here in Europe, but not in the ocean. The first thing I had the girls do when we reached Austria was train in their sparring sessions, already making sure they knew we were still going to be in top shape and ready or anything that could come our way.

Stranton got Dunkle in a headlock now and was about to get to tap out when Dunkle got herself out of the headlock with ease. I had to smile now they were still trying to pin the other down, both had their strengths in the fight and both of their own weaknesses. We didn't mind having sparring sessions with one another, it kept the morale up and our senses alert and sharp. Plus I felt like we needed some time as a unit to practice and spar with one another, it was familiar to us back when we started this journey together.

"Done," I said, Dunkle and Stranton moved away from each other and looked over at me as they were taking a breath, "Good sparring session. Make sure you keep those arms in and your legs need to be more stable."

"How about you and me go for a few rounds, Captain?" Harper said to me in a challenging tone, the others giggling.

"You'd not' your ass handed to ya, don't ya Harper?" O'Neal asked her in her own coy manner, the chuckling was continuing now as I raised my hand now to stop them all from the useless chatter.

"Let's regroup and continue on. A few more rounds and we can be done for the day," I explained to them, seeing someone jogging over our way now to see us. The girls paired off, talking to each other for a bit bore they were about to having another round of training with one another. I noticed that it was Talbert that ran up to me, stopping and almost falling over his feet before he saluted me and I returned the gesture.

"What is it, Talbert?" I asked.

"Major Winters and Captain Nixon need you, along with Captain Welsch," He explained as he took a shaky breath from all of his running, "The German Colonel in town is going to officially surrender over to the Captains and they want you there."

"Holy shit," O'Neal voiced behind me, having me look over at her and she saw me look at her. She immediately went quiet, sensing that it was not her place, "Sorry, Captain."

"As far as I know, I could have said the same thing too," I said in agreement as I looked back at Talbert again, "Why do they need me?"

"You're a Captain, they feel you belong there I guess," Talbert answered, having me think for a moment or two to myself. I looked back over to O'Neal, seeing her grin at me, showing me that I should go along and watch the German Officer surrender.

"You go ahead, Captain. I can train the others for a bit," She reassured me softly, which was a sense of relief. I could leave them to their own devices for a moment or two, an hour or so really.

* * *

I stood behind Major Winters as he was sitting in the chair, and a German Officer right across from him and was giving him his surrender. In fact, he was a Colonel and was in charge of the group that was surrounding to us. We were in the lobby of the major hotel that was in the town we were in, the day was beautiful with the sun coming through the windows and the birds were heard chirping outside. However, giving the current circumstance that we were in, the day felt a little dimmer because of the enemy being right in front of us.

I was off to the side where Welsch and Nixon, seeing the German Colonel looking down at Winters now as he was giving his official surrender. I said nothing, standing very still and feeling like I was being watched. And I was, I knew that from the officers that were behind their Captain.

"I wonder what will happen, to people like you and me, when there are finally no more wars to occupy us?" The Colonel asked Winters, having me see him give some kind of smile to Winters as if they were having some kind of regular conversation. I wanted to view a sideways look to Welsch and Nixon, seeing how they were reacting to this, but I looked ahead, seeing one or two of their officers stare me down like a target.

"Have all your men collect their weapons. Leave them at the church, the school, and the airfield," winters informed him, the Colonel nodding his head.

"Very well," he agreed, then slowly reaching down to grasp his gun on his holster. I wanted to see what he was going to do, but he took it out and held it to Winters now.

"Please accept this as my formal surrender, Major," He said to Winters, waiting for him to take it. A part of me wanted to reach out and take it myself, but I watched closely now, "It is better than to lay it on the desk of a clerk,"

Winters stood up, staring him down in the eyes and giving him the same leader stare that he gave to us plenty a time.

"You may keep your sidebar, Colonel," Winters explained the Colonel looked a bit stunned from what he heard. He finally placed his sidearm back in its holster, pausing when he locked eyes with me there behind Winters. I stayed still, watching him and trying not to give him a beyond stern look that I hated him or that I was being hostile. I wanted to remain calm but considering the fact that a German Colonel was now looking at me almost in interest.

"I've heard whispers amongst my battalion about a group of soldiers who take out dozens of good soldiers with ease, moving like shadows and showing no mercy," He said calmly, looking at me up and down and seeing my black uniform and attire, I thought my own men were crazy to say that they were women that were killing my own….but it seems as though I'm wrong."

Winters took a step over to where I was now, keeping his eye on the Colonel now as he was still watching me with a small stare on me. Was he expecting me to cave under pressure? Was he thinking hat I was going to be afraid of him since he was now in front of me? I didn't know what to think about him or how this was going to pan out. but for some reason, I wasn't afraid. There were others in the room that were going to back me up.

However, looking up at him now, I saw the officers behind him staring me down. They were looking at me like I killed their brothers or their friends. I could have without realizing it, and they now realized that it was me and my unit taking the shots and took lives of people they knew. It was stinging a bit, and as much as I tried to remind myself that we were in a war and I had to do what was necessary, that numb feeling of killing someone was slowly itching under my skin.

"You lead those shadows amongst my men?" He asked me directly now, a cock in his head as I slowly looked over at him now, dead in his blue eyes and I stayed strong as much as I could.

"I'm Captain Bellerose, Special Operations," I replied to him, seeing him almost taken back a bit now from what I told him.

"A female Captain….unusual," He voiced, not to me but mostly to himself.

"A Captain none the less, and is one of the most respected Captain's in our battalion," Winters explained to him, still staying close to me and the Colonel looked at him almost in disbelief but then he slowly looked back at me. I could tell he was trying to analyze me and see what kind of Captain I was in front of him, even after he surrendered and he no longer can do something to me.

"I see…" he replied, finally looking back over at Winters and walking back to face him head on. He saluted him, Winter doing the same back as an ending to the conversation. I didn't know how to feel since it felt like I could fell plenty of things from that one interaction with a German Colonel. He didn't despise me, he was more intrigued by the fact that I was a leader of a group that spooked his own men, not only spooked them but killed some of them as well. This was a true first for me in the war, the sense that another person knew what I did, experienced what I did and had to live through it. It might have been an out of body experience for me, but what scared me the most was that I wasn't more emotional about it.

I was becoming numb to the thought of war that happens in war, the killing and dying of men, which could be more of a nightmare than ever before.

* * *

That night was quiet, hearing the small fainting sounds of the lake moving around from the gentle wind coming through and the stars over the sky giving a small glow to the area that reminded me of a dream. It was nice enough for me to take a glass of wine outside onto the balcony of the hotel where we were staying at, at least the captains were staying at within the first few floors. The others that I knew were hanging out together in one of the other rooms, and I didn't feel like going in with their jollies and conversations.

The door behind me opened, and since I left the balcony doors open to bring in some air into the room I was staying in, I didn't think to get up and look to see who it was since I knew who it would be.

The steps were slow and calming, finally reaching the balcony where I was sitting in one of the chairs that were already outside, the other ready for him to sink into.

"Met with a German Colonel today," I said out of the blue, seeing Eugene finally sink into the chair across from me and lean back a bit in his seat.

"Heard about the surrender from Spina, I didn't know you were going to be there for that too," Eugene replied.

"Yeah well, Winters wanted me there since I'm a Captain with Easy technically," I said to him, seeing him watch me now with uneasiness there on his face and within his dark eyes.

"So what happened?" Eugene asked me, thinking that it would have been worse with what happened to me.

"He called me out for killing some of his men in the past. When he said it, it didn't seem like he was trying to make me mad or condemn me for doing it, but it was more of a fascination or him for someone like me to do that to his own men," I explained, seeing him not say a word about it as I went on, "I don't know, I was numb about it. I wasn't sad or angry about it, just…numb that I did it," It made me frown when I said that, thinking that it would make me look wrong or unusual in this new light. I sighed and shook it off my shoulders, looking over at him now and seeing him give me a small smile.

"What was on your agenda today?" I asked him, "Haven't talked to ya all day since we came here."

"Not a whole lot. Got our hands on some more supplies from one of the stores in town," Eugene explained to me," I wanted to look for you and see if you wanted to go over to the lake but you were busy."

"Such a romantic," I teased him, seeing him grin slowly, "You were trying to get a tan and you want me to join you?"

"Maybe," He suggested, having me smirk to him and move some of my hair out of my eyes, "Besides, I found out I got another letter from home today."

"How's your family?" I asked him as I saw him reach into his pocket to get the letter.

"They send their wishes to you and they wanna meet ya," Eugene explained as he handed me the letter and I looked over the neat writing of his mother. I grew to know her writing since he would show me her letter from time to time when they would get to her.

"I'm sure they do, with all the nice things you were saying about me," I commented to him, "Same goes for my sister. She wants to meet you as soon as we get home,"

"She sounds lovely," Eugene added.

"She is, the more feminine version of me if I do say so myself," I joked.

"Well can she handle a rifle like you?" He asked in a suggestion. I cocked an eyebrow at him now as I looked back out at the scenery again.

"I would be shocked if she does that now since I left," I added leaning my head back a bit and breathing out an even breath. I thought of my sister, how she must have changed since I saw her last. She was a strong sister for me to look up to, and even after we had a wedge between us, I still considered her family, "I'll take you to go meet her, you'll like her."

"I shouldn't be nervous should I?" He asked as I folded up his letter to give back to him, he was fishing out a cigarette pack from his pocket and getting a stick between his lips. I could see he was fishing around to find this lighter and I finally reaching into my own pocket to get my own lighter, handing it to him. He eyed me, taking it and lighting his cigarette.

"I think the only person you should ever be worried about is my Uncle, he was the one gave me grief from being in the army," I explained as he handed me his cigarette to take a drag. I took a deep drag, feeling the smoke coming into my lungs as exhaled the rest and watched it fly away in the night sky.

"He sounds tough," Eugene commented as I passed the stick back to him now. I watched him, almost mesmerized in how he was inhaling the cigarette naturally, a natural in the act of it all and his own body looking lose and realized compared to many other nights that he would be rigid and wound up.

"He's not too touch, just protective," I resounded back as I watched his smoke rise up to the sky, slowly dissolving in the air now. I was watching the stillness of the area, how the trees were so still and there was barely anything to hear in the sky. In the past back when the war started, the sounds of bombs going off were in the air, scattered across the sky. We were so used to that sound, even the random pops of gunfire, it was a normalcy of the war. But now since there was nothing else over here to Europe to fight over, the silence was almost too spooky and unrelenting for me to sit through for a long period of time.

"What's going to be the first thing you'll eat when you get home?" I asked Eugene out of the blue, thinking about home recently and how much I missed some of the food there. Even with some of the food that we scrounged up here in Austria, the food from home was way more plentiful.

"Don't know, haven't thought about it," He said to himself, then looking over at me and handing his cigarette for me to take a drag. I inhaled as he went on, "My ma's gumbo for sure. I miss it a little too much these days."

"Gumbo does sound good," I added to the conversation, "And I bet you five bucks that we can make gumbo in there in the kitchen."

"You think?" Eugene asked me as I looked behind the both of us into the kitchen of the apartment. I raised my eyebrow at the thought: there had to have been some ingredients in there that we could have scrounged up for the usage of gumbo. Since both Eugene and I knew how to make the stuff, might as well occupy our time with something that wouldn't get us in trouble.

"I'll double that amount on you," Eugene challenged me then, having me look back at him and smile.

"You're on."

* * *

"It's smellin' good," Eugene voiced to me as I was stirring some of the gumbo within the large pot that we had going. I grinned, adding a few more spices into the pot and seeing the dinner that we were making getting bigger and better looking. It wasn't like my mother's gumbo, nor was it close to anyone's gumbo from Lousiana, but it was going to have to be close enough with what Eugene and I could find both my own apartment and his own. Whoever lived here left all of their pieces behind, which made perfect sense really, and though we had to substitute from of the ingredients, we both made it work. Before we knew it, the smell was haunting the whole room and escaping to go outside into the night with the balcony door wide open.

Eugene was occupied with looking at the turntable that was against one of the walls in the living room, seeing the records that were on the shelf against the wall and what they said on there.

"You sayin' it like I'm gonna burning something," I voiced to him as he pulled out a record to place on the turntable.

"You gotta make it perfect or else it'll lose the flavor," He explained as he got the record going. It sounded like classic music, the small sounds of the symphony were filling the rooms and giving a sense of peace. I looked back at the pot now, seeing the mixture getting better and the smell already making my stomach turn in a good way. I didn't realize how hungry I was until just now, and at this moment I was starving.

"You wanna check for me and make sure I'm doin' it right?" I asked him, seeing him walk over to me now and then look at the pot, over my shoulder and brushing his body against my own. It almost felt domesticated in how we were acting together with the bit pot of gumbo, but it also felt very right in my opinion. I didn't want to think of anything else but being there with Eugene, making dinner together and just smiling with one another.

"Let's let simmer a bit," He suggested, reaching over me to turn down the heat for the pot and he grasped my hand in his own, our fingers molding together perfectly, "Come over here."

"And let our dinner burn?" I asked as I followed him out of the kitchen are over to the sitting room where the turntable was placing the nice music. The music was soothing enough as Eugene wrapped his arms around me, moving back and forth on the balls of his feet now and I knew what he wanted to do: he wanted to dance. I moved my arms around his neck then, not wanting to interrupt this moment that he made for the both of us. I even forgot about the whole confrontation with the German Colonel, and it was for the best I suppose.

"It's not gonna burn, you did too good of a job to let it burn," He reminded me as we moved together, almost snuggled together even though it was a cool night. I didn't know if it was a spicy smell of gumbo and of home that was coming from the kitchen, or the sweet sounds of the classical music coming from the turntable that reminded me of those old romantic movies in the past, but something in that moment made me forget about the war, really forget about it.

In my head, I imagined the both of us dancing just like this, in our little house on some kind of hill, or even one that is nestled within New Orleans. A house that is filled with warmth and peace and enough space for just for two. Somewhere that was far away from here, away from the war and anything that would remind me of the war and blood and death. Maybe a garden in the back for all the cooking that we would do for dinner and maybe lunch, a porch to drink tea at when the sun came down.

I wanted that life. I wanted that simple, peaceful, slow life, and I wanted that with Eugene.

We were still swaying back and forth with each other, neither one of us saying a word or two for a minute while the music was still going on, which made me rest my head against his shoulder, breathing slowly and smoothly as he was resting his own head against my head. It felt nice that we didn't have to talk a whole lot just to be around each other and be content. I needed this, I needed the silence and the comfort of just being around Eugene without needing to prove something or provide some kind of leadership or wisdom. I could just be myself, my true self, which scared me.

"You're a good dancer." I murmured to him as we were close enough to just breathe each other in.

"My mother taught me, she thought it would be nice for me to learn so I can woo a girl," He explained as I could feel some of his fingers touching my hair and the ends of it now as we were still making a small circle with our dancing.

"She was right," I said in agreement, "Though I was already wooed by you long before I knew you could dance."

"Which is still a mystery to me," He added, having me finally lift my head up and look at him. We both were at the same level in height, and I loved it that way so I was leveled with his eyes that seemed so beautiful and memorizing at the same time.

"It's not to me, Eugene Roe. I should be the one that's a mystery to you," I said to him softly as I felt some of my fingers run along his skin on the back of his neck with affection.

"I don't think so," He argued in his kind tone, "You were always so warm to me, I couldn't help it,"

"Help what?" I had to ask now, seeing him stop the both of us from dancing and just standing there in the middle of the room and staring at each other, my smile still on my face and almost being lost in his gaze with me.

"Falling in love with you," I paused, my smiled almost paling from what he told me and how gentle me made it sound. One of his hands near my hair and the other around my lower waist to keep me close to him, and with my own hands around his neck, it felt like we were once again frozen together in the middle of the living room of some family's apartment. It was like we stepped back in time when we were in France in that Cathedral when we first kiss. But this was different, this was another step that was deeper than before.

"You mean that?" I asked him, almost sheepishly.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," He reminded me, still keeping his voice gentle enough for me to feel the chill going down my spine in how calm he was about it, "I do love you. Even if it gets me in trouble."

"You would still love me?" I asked, pressing on even more since we were talking about it. He searched my eyes, seeing the uncertainty in my own gaze with him.

"Of course I would, you think I wouldn't if you were anything else in the army?" Eugene questioned me, not in a mean or a threatening way, but more in a curious way. I shook my head, knowing that it was not true and how kind of a heart that he had.

"Well, I love you too, Eugene," I paused, biting my lip from saying it out loud and almost feeling like my heart was about to beat out of my chest, "I've never told anyone that before."

"I'm honored then," He voiced to me, leaning in a bit to give me a sweet kiss on the lips. I held it too, my fingers were in his hair and some of his fingers were tapping against my lower back, my heart about to burst on overload from what we were doing with each other alone in the room. Even something this simple felt like a rich to me, a huge rush and it was enough for me to see the goodness of the world.

"What about our gumbo?" I asked against his lips when I barely pulled away, seeing him smile widely at me.

"I'm not hungry anymore."

* * *

"Heroic Army and Marine forces dead mark the battlefield on Okinawa where a bloody engagement is being fought. Thousands of Yanks have been wounded or sacrificed their lives to drive a fanatical force from this base. The Yanks progress slowly, facing one of the fiercest barrages of war.

"Each advance is gained by the sheer grit in the face of withering fire from a suicidal enemy being hammered back into the hills. The going is brutal and casualties are high, but the Okinawa is the next step toward Victory over Japan. A victory the can only be won by work, war bonds, and heroic sacrifice."

The reel ended finally, the picture of the war in the Pacific and the progression it was making. I was still having some bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. The other girls in Black Mamba were watching it with me along with the rest of the soldiers there in the room, no one said a word while the reel was going, and I was thinly one in Black Mamba against the wall, with the other Captains that were in the room. We were watching at what we could be facing and going up again, which so far was not leaving us in good spirits.

The soldiers all got up and moved out of the room, but I decided to stick behind with the other Captains and hear them out since Major Winters snuck into the room.

"So when are we going?" Spiers asked Winters now as the soldiers were walking pass us.

"We don't have a date yet," Winters answered.

"Are we gonna tell the men right away?"

"Some have enough points to go home."

"Not many, if their medals a Purple Heart. But I want the veterans who are staying, and all replacements, ready to fight. That means rifles range, daily close-order drills, troop revives. Above all, physical training, get your NCO's on it," Winters explained to all of us there in the room, then looking over at me now with a pint of his finger, "Bellerose, you're already on top of it but make sure Black Mamba is ready to go if anything does one up. Better for us to be prepared."

"Of course, Major," I answered him, already having that small feeling of anticipation on the back of my neck as we were moving out of the room and into the lobby now, Nixon saying the one sentence on all of our minds in that moment now since we saw the reel:

"They're gonna love you."


	29. Chapter 29

"Captain Matthews, good to see you, sir." I walked into one of the makeshift offices that they got together in town to see Captain Matthews looking over some of the files there on his desk. It felt like I haven't seen him in years, which could be actual truth, but it was nice to see a friendly face none the less. I got word that he was in town and he wanted to talk to me about the possibility of going over to Japan with Black Mamba, which had me order O'Neal to take the rest of the girls out on a run and then from combat training.

I saluted Matthews as soon as I entered the room, watching him return the gesture.

"Good to see you, Captain," He replied to me, "Come have a seat, we have plenty to discuss. How's Black Mamba?"

"They're doing fine sir," I answered truthfully, "Stay in shape for Japan if it is needed."

"Good to hear," He replied as I sank into one of the chairs in front of his desk. He sat down as well, having me see some new lines under his eyes and around his face. He must have aged on his own all of these years.

"Since you took over Black Mamba as acting Captain, I've been getting exceptional reports from the other companies, including Easy company." He explained, folding his hands in front of him, "Makes me proud to know that we have an active and effective Special operations unit that is setting the bar very high in this war."

"I'm glad to know that we are doing our part, sir," I commented to him, but I could tell by the look on his face and in how he was sitting in the chair that something else was troubling him. That, or he was about to tell me something that was not going to be pretty or good in general.

"Since I brought up the idea of having an all-female company, let alone starting the first all-female Special Operations unit in US army history, there as been talk among those in the higher ranks of keeping the program on future use, making it permanent. I personally want this program to have a permanent stay within the army regiment, I think it would do some good for the future wars that America could be in, God Forbid. But unfortunately, it is no up to me, and I don't have the last and final say," Matthews explained, staring at me right in the eyes.

I knew this kind of thing was going to happen, the knowledge that we could not be going farther along the line of duty for the sake of the army. We were the odd ones out since it was taboo to have one unit be made all of the females, let alone a unit that was Special Operations. We were lucky enough to be given the green light to jump in with the other in Normandy, and it was way more of a miracle that we weren't pulled out sooner than now. We got lucky, and now it seemed that out luck was finally out for good.

"So we're not heading out to Japan I take it, sir?" I asked, my voice being civil and leveled. Whatever the outcome was going to be for Black Mamba, for myself, I had to face it and not see it as punishment or some kind of payback. We went into this war by chance, and we were going to go out by chance.

"After Austria, you and Black Mamba will be sent home."

* * *

"Wow," I watched as each one of the girls were drinking in the news of what I was told, and since Matthews asked me to give the news to them, he reassured me that he would talk to the other Captains there in Austria, along with Colonel Sink, and let them know of the decision. I was glad that I didn't have to say it over and over again. A part of me was relieved that we weren't going over to Japan, that the girls have had enough to go through since we were on plenty of dangerous missions and we lost our own Captain.

But then again, who was I to complain? The men had it worse.

We only lost one, they've lost far too many for them to bear. Throughout the times they thought they too were going to be lost in the throws of war, and seeing others bleed out in front of them. They had to press one, fighting for victory, even with the cost of lives and even their minds.

Worse of it all was Eugene, how he saw far too much blood for one person one see in one lifetime. He tried to save so many, and though he did, he didn't save them all. What kind of burden was left on his heart since he was the medic? How could I complain about something that I knew would be temporary when I knew Eugene, along with the others, were going to be suffering that could end up torturing them for the rest of their lives?

"I know," I reassured them all as we were sitting in a circle outside one of the hotels. I decided to let them down with the news easy since it would be a bit of a shock for them to digest. It was a cooler afternoon, a bit after I talked to Matthews and got some beers for the girls to have since it would take the edge off.

"I didn't see that one coming," Straton said with a sigh as she held her own beer, I saw a fight breeze comb through her hair now as I was looking at each one of them, seeing the mix looks on their faces. I was waiting for someone to explode there from the news, but no one was doing that just yet.

"I kind of did…but I thought it would be sooner than this," O'Neal admitted to me with a shrug of her shoulders. Harper said nothing, just took a long drag from her beer and I breathed out slowly through my nose.

"How long does that give us here?" Dunkle asked in curiosity.

"A few days until they get shipped out to Japan," I answered her, "Matthews will make sure we get back to the states."

"How reassuring," Harper grumbled a bit now, having the others chuckled a bit, "Well, at least they're sending us out on a good note."

"I like it this way," O'Neal said out of the blue now, all of them looking at her now since it was a bit of a shock to hear it from the second in command. She seemed calm about it, not in a rush of panic like I thought she would. Even I raised an eyebrow at her now from the thought of her being cool with it.

"Really?" I asked her, seeing her give me a small smile.

"Look how far we came," She stated, "Where we came from training together and that we all stayed alive this long and we didn't loose ourselves. Not that I'm saying we were meant to disaster from the moment we started this whole thing, but sure enough we did. I feel like we did more hen they thought we would."

Another wave of silence came through with the group, all of then drinking in what she said to the group of us, in which sounded a little more relieving than anything. There was no more feeling that we were defeated, but a feeling of pride and accomplishment from what we have done within the past year with the war. The plenty of missions, the countless cities that we ran into in order to have a successful mission.

"And to think we they didn't think we could do it," Harper added to O'Neal, her own small smirk on her lips now as she was thinking about it on her own, "Now look at us."

Smiles were seen on all of their faces when Harper had that comment hanging in the air. It felt like it was a normal conversation that was going on with friends. With the perfect weather, the was flowing through the area, it almost seemed like a picture perfect like of a day, since we were now thinking of going home.

"So, how are we gonna tell the others, the ones in Easy?" Straton asked me, bringing up another piece of this complicated puzzle.

"Major Winters is going to break the news to them, he thought it would be better coming from him than from me" I explained, seeing a small grin from Harper now as she was looking over at me. I looked at her now, seeing something within her eyes like she wanted to tell me something, or she knew something that I didn't know.

"Are you going to tell Eugene?" She asked, almost tentative to ask me that in front of the others. It was like she was walking on eggshells since she asked me something that could, in fact, get her in trouble. But how as it that she knew about Eugene, did she know that we had a solid relationship or that we had something more to it?

Did they all know all this time?

"It's okay to say it, Captain. it's the end of the war anyhow," O'Neal almost said in agreement with Harper as I released a shaky breath, a small one really since it felt like I was about to walk into some kind of trap.

"I wasn't really planning on it since he already had some kind of idea….but now I guess I have to since I feel as though you guys will beat me to it," I explained, hearing a few of them chuckle and even grin from ear to ear.

"Well that was my intention of course, going against my Captain's wishes and tell the one soldier that she has feelings over, that will definitely go over well for me," Harper said sarcastically, in which I gave her a playful glare now as Straton was grinning so wide I thought her mouth was going to break.

"I'm glad you have your head on straight since I really would have to ring you dry for doing somethin' like that."

* * *

There was a lottery on the anniversary of D-Day, the day after I got the news of Black Mamba's departure.

One member from each Company was selected to go home, thanks to the lottery, mostly in celebration of D-Day and the anniversary, and because most of the men in the companies did not have enough points to head home. General Taylor decided that it would be a good idea to have this lottery in celebration. Black Mamba was in attendance but we didn't participate in the lottery, which didn't surprise us one bit really.

Thankfully, Easy Company had a plan up their sleeve.

We told at attendance when Captain Spiers brought the men to attention, the war afternoon there in the small town in Austria was giving the ceremony a peaceful feeling when Spiers was giving the commands for right shoulder arms and order arms. I stood in front of Black Mamba when we placed the group at ease.

"General Taylor is aware that many veterans including Normandy Veterans still do not have the 85 points required to be discharged. On this the anniversary of D-Day, he has authorized a lottery to send one man home from each commonly effective immediately."

I looked away from Spiers as he was still rambling on and over to some of the men on the other side of the area, seeing them all stare at Spiers in wrapped attention to see who they were going to hear. I knew they knew. Babe spilled the beans on Harper when they met up after our talk and then she spilled to me. I ordered the girls not to say a word, but they all were beyond happy to hear who it was going to be. We all were going to be happy.

Finally, my eyes went over to Eugene now, seeing him next to Johnny Martin with his white medic armband almost shining in the light of the sun. Like the others, he was in his dress greens, and my own heart fluttered a bit from this appearance. I didn't know if it was because the war was coming to a close for me, or that we haven't had a real good moment or two alone together, but I couldn't help but smile and have my grin seem genuine.

He briefly looked over at me, having me a small smirk on his own face as well. It felt like we were along together in a room, no one else around to see us or to talk to us. But it was also a realization for me, a bitter one too since he was still devoted to Easy Company and the army, he could still go to the Pacific and he would have no choice in the matter. That meant that I was going to have to talk to him about what was going to happen if we were going to be separated, or when to be precise.

"Shifty!"

Once I heard his name being called and the others cheering for him, I looked away from Eugene now and I saw Shifty giving one of his own shy smiles to the groups. Even some of the girls behind me cheered for him thought they didn't leave rank. Shifty was able to go home, the others in Easy gave him the opportunity and I could see that most of them were not at all regretful for that choice. Shifty deserved it, according to Babe, and he did.

He deserved a long and happy life, like the rest of them.

* * *

I closed the bag that was on my bed, making sure it was nice and tight before I looked up and around to hear the eerie silence. It was late in the evening, some of the girls already in bed whereas I couldn't get any sleep at all. I was still thinking about getting on that boat within the next day or so, from what I heard it would be about 2 days time and then they would take us to the ships.

The next morning I was going to talk to Winters about things to wrap up, one last meeting with Matthews and then he was going to help us on our way. Hell, we already had some of the Easy Company members coming to us to give us hugs and request for one last poker game. Shifty was the first official Easy Company member I had to say goodbye to, which was hard since it was nothing but kind to me and a solid friend, a gentle soul that was caught up in this war but ever tainted. He was lucky, beyond lucky, I think God was on his side more than the others.

A small knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," I said loud enough, the door opening from the sitting room and then closing tentatively. Walking in was none other than Eugene himself, back in his combat uniform but it was loose and not tucked in for inspection. I smiled at him at he ruffled his hair and grinned at me, already having em feel that flutter within my chest once more as he pointed to my army bag on the bed.

"Packin' already?" he asked.

"Might as well do it now," I answered, walking away from the bag to stand in front of him, "I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," he paused, chewing his bottom lip for a second and I reached over to grasp his fingers to intertwine with my own, "After Winters told us about Black Mamba, it made me think a lot."

"Yeah, me too, I wanted to talk to ya earlier but you were busy," I admitted to him.

"They're keepin' us busy for the Pacific," He commented, the topic of the Pacific making the both of us pause now and almost hate the fact that we were talking about it. I knew it had to come up, and now that it was on the table it was almost bitter to bring up over my lips. So I wanted to tell him what I wanted to do, for the both of us to have the best outcome that could happen so that we could have that future that Eugene and I yearned for.

"Eugene, when you go over to the Pacific…" I started, seeing the concern in his eyes as I was starting this.

"Olive—" He tried to stop me but I shook my head.

"Let me get this out," I pleaded with him, seeing him quiet but still hold my hands close to him and almost draw me close to his own body heat, "When you go over there, I want to you know that…that I'll wait for you," He searched my eyes, having me wonder what he was thinking. He wasn't angry…nor was he sad I don't think. To me, from where I was standing, He seemed more shocked about it but was trying to stay calm.

"You would?" he asked me, almost stuttering when he asked.

"Of course I would," I said in relief to him as I smiled at him, the same smile that I showed him earlier at the ceremony, "I don't have a real home to go to and, after what we talked about before and being the hopeful person that I am, I was thinking of us finding our own place together somewhere," I must have sounded foolish, foolish and in love with the thought of being in a new life with someone I fell in love with. Did I sound like a high school girl that I used to be, engulfed with the thought and the notion of love? How did I come to this, being a Captain in a Special Operations Unit in the US Army acting like a teenager?

I could feel the heavy silence in between the both of us, and that was the moment that I felt like I said something wrong to either scare him or to have him see me in a new light. Did I say too much? Did I look desperate to do this too soon for him? What was I thinking? But after what felt like a huge few moments, almost making me lose my breath and almost wish I could disappear into smoke and never return.

He suddenly closed the gap between the both of us, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me so sweetly that it made me loose my train of thought. I felt the warmth, all over my skin and within my chest as he felt the kissed that felt both bold and yet gentle at the same time. Even a soft man escaped my lips from the sudden showering of affection from Eugene, which felt like it was beyond out of his character since he was more of the gentle type than dominating. I wondered where this came from with him but who was I question it.

He finally pulled away, my breath was still lost in what he did and how he did it with such carefulness. It felt like his own eyes were brighter, fuller and even more beautiful than before, and to think it was from a kiss with me was beyond surreal.

"What was that for?" I asked him, breathless and out of sorts. He just smiled, both of his arms were still around me.

"I don't know," I admitted to me, having me give a breathy laugh, "I just…I never thought I would be this happy before I met you."

"It's a good thing I feel the same or we both would be in trouble," I said as a joke, Eugene pulling me into a hug once more and I could feel his chuckle deep between us from the vibrations of his body against my own. I rested my fingers in the nape of his neck, his hair touching my skin there as I hear him speak up again.

"I promise to get back to you," He vowed in a low tone for the both of us, having me squeeze him a bit tighter, "I'll come back and we can live together and be happy."

"I'm already happy with you," I confessed to him as I pressed a kiss to the side of his black hair, "I just want you safe."

"Haven't we talked about this before, being worried about each other?" Eugene asked in a lighter manner, having me smile and nod my head.

"Yeah well, call me stubborn because I'm never gonna stop worryin' about ya. I like ya a little too much," I explained, pulling back to see his face in front of me. I couldn't hope but trace some of the lines on his face with my finger and just imagine what it was going to be like for the both of us to be together, out of army clothes and dressed like normal people, in a normal life. It sounded so heavenly at this point that I felt that pain of loosing Eugene one more time since he was still in the army.

but that came to a screeching halt when someone banged one the door at least three times, the sound deafening.

"Captain! There's an emergency! Captain!" it was O'Neal, and Eugene and I sprang from each other, bolting to the door. She sounded desperate and very scared, having em rush over to throw the door open in a heap. Out in the hallway was O'Neal, breathing in and out as if she came from a huge run with Talbert right behind her, his face looking grave and almost on the verge of pain and anger. I could tell something bad happened, Eugene sensing it too as he spoke up for the both of us.

"Talbert? What's goin' on?" he asked him.

"Grant was shot."

* * *

"Black Mamba on me," I said to the group now as we were meeting outside the hotel room in the middle of the road. Two seconds after Talbert filled me in with what was happening with Grant, I made sure the rest of Black Mamba was rounded up. I knew they Easy was going to need help in finding the guy since he drove off after taking the shot, and I could feel the bitterness and the anger that was coming over the rest of the girls when I told them the news.

"Grant is being taken to a doctor here in town by Captain Spiers and Doc Roe, and we are going to help find the man who shot him and bring him here before he leaves the country," I explained to the group as they stood in front of me, "We need to take him alive."

"Pity," Harper said in a bitter tone, almost like a snarl now as I could see the simmer of anger underneath her skin.

"We bring him back here alive and unharmed so we can turn him over to the proper authorities," I went on with the explanation, "Pair off and take to each exit out of town, make sure we get him before he slips out of our fingers. Dunkle, get in touch with some of the locals with the town and see if they saw him within the last hour or less than that. I need two others to take on the lake and some of those trails if he snuck in there,"

"Where do we bring him when we find him?" O'Neal asked.

"Bring him here where we can hand him over to the MP's," I instructed them, "And it's like I said, you need to take him alive."

"Captain," Harper interjected now, having me see the venom in her eyes and hear it when she addressed me, "He shot at one of our own."

I knew she meant Easy, that he belonged to them and no one else. But the way she said it, almost being beyond protective of him and wanting to keep him out of harm's way. I felt it too, that tug to protect anyone in Easy, hell that was my job this whole time in the war: to aid and make sure everyone in Easy was okay. I knew I had slip ups along the way, but just because we were no longer going to protect them, it didn't mean that we weren't going to make sure they got the boat to the Pacific in one piece.

"I won't let the last thing that we do in the army involve a bloodbath," I reminded them, seeing them slowly and almost with a hint of pain nod their heads in agreement. We still had a job, and we still were in the army for a short amount of time. I didn't want the last thing we did as a squad be tainted with blood and vengeance, that's not what Black Mamba stood for.

We were better than that.

"Find him."


	30. Chapter 30

The tension in the air was enough to have someone feel like they were suffocating, but there was also the feeling of anger and revenge in the night.

The girls wanted blood, for the sake of Grant, a member of the beloved Easy Company.

The night was chilly and still, but O'Neal was driving in the jeep that we snagged and we were going down the same road that Grant was Shot. I looked over once in awhile, seeing the white knuckles of O'Neal as her hand was not he stirring wheel, looking dead ahead with a stern look about her, someone who was wrapped up too tight about to snap and break in two. I had to anchor her, remind her that we needed the shooter alive.

Finally we reached the area, O'Neal slowing down and stopping the Jeep off on the side of the road. I hopped out, walking over a bit now with my sniper out in my hands in case we were going to have a problem. MY ears were on high alert as well as my eyes now as I finally saw some markings on the ground, small out scattered along the dirt floor and some in the grass as well. Walking over a bit more and crouching down to see it better, I realized what it was.

Grant's blood.

But there was more blood than I thought one person would have from a gunshot wound, seeing another spot of blood a few feet away from where I was, and another bit near the grass. It clicked in my head, having me hear O'Neal walk over to stand behind me now as I finally spoke up.

"Grant wasn't the only one who was shot," I explained, "Two others at least."

"They took the bodies I suspect after they called it in," O'Neal commented.

I looked up from my squatting position, seeing the tire marks on the road ahead of us and how they curved from being on the grass back onto the road.

"He drove off down the road," I explained, making it sound very simple enough since it was right in front of the both of us, "We need to track it."

"I'm on it," O'Neal replied, running back over to the jeep and getting the engine started. I slowly got up from my spot and watched the markings on the road with the tire tracks, already wanting to get out of there as fast as I could and not look back. This shouldn't have happened, not while they were so close to being home and away from any kind of death and pain.

* * *

"Stop here."

O'Neal stopped the jeep, having me hop out and see a abandoned jeep off on the side of the road, showing obvious signs of someone driving under the influence. Great, we were going to be dealing with someone who was a drunk, or used to be drunk and is now trying to shrug it off. The jeep itself looked like its been through enough, whoever was driving it was not careful.

"Be on alert, O'Neal," I wanted her as were both got our weapons out and ready for usage. I was scanning the area, thinking that the guys was now watching us somewhere in the bushes.

"Tracks, Captain," O'Neal said behind me, having me look to see her point with the tip of her gun. I saw the tracks too, not looking consistent and walking over to the edge of the forest tree line on the right side of the road. I cocked my gun, bringing it up to be ready in position in case something or someone was going to want to pop up and say hello. O'Neal did the same, the both of was going into silence and staying still, not moving an inch now. I wanted to see if we were going to be dealing with someone in the dark, someone who was trying to be stealth. We waited.

We waited and listened.

For a few seconds, we heard nothing that was out of the ordinary, just the movements of the branches amongst the trees and the small sounds of my feet crunching on the ground there beneath us. We both knew what we were listening too: something that didn't belong in the scene. But I heard it, we both did.

A twig snapped.

We both moved, without saying a word between the both of us and we walked over to the edge of the forest with our guns out and loaded, seeing nothing but the darkness there within the mass of the forest. I wondered how good of a hider this person was and if he was really trying not to be found, which lead to an idea that I knew would work in this kind of a case. I looked over O'Neal, clocking my tongue once to her her attention. Her head snapped in my direction, my eyebrow showing to motion up and I saw her nodding once as well. We both lowered our guns and threw on the straps, walking over to the nearest tree and then started to climb.

We were going to look from above.

I landed on the first trunk, about 30 feet up from the ground, O'Neal was a little higher than me in her own tree. We both crouched down and scanned the area from above. It reminded me of when we would play hide and seek before the war in the woods, but this time we were the ones who were on the hunt. This wasn't a game for us, this was work.

Another set of movements was heard, shifting on my right and almost as if the person was trying to weave out of the bushes in one piece without being seen. I got my sniper up and ready to look through with the scope I had to really rely on my eyes since it was far too dark for me to see anything normally. I moved my rifle along the area below, my scope given gem some sight but not so much. I was only looking for movement.

But O'Neal caught him first.

She threw down one of her knives, hitting him somewhere on his body and he cried out in pain. I heard him fall to the ground beneath us from the assault. I whistled once, signaling O'Neal to make the pounce and get the jump on him. She instantly dropped from the trunk onto the ground, having me hear another grunt from a man now. They were struggling a bit, almost a form of wrestling now as I was staying still on the trunk in case she needed the help. I knew her well enough, she didn't need me at all when it came to help.

She was fine on her own.

"I'll stop…stop please! Crazy bitch!" The man grunted below her, the way his voice sounded seemed like he was fighting off what little alcohol he had in his system still.

"O'neal," I called once, hearing nothing else from their end. O'Neal stopped trying to keep him still, either she got him in a good enough pin or he gave up on her. I got my gun back over my shoulder and I hopped eased myself down from the tree, going slow and not in a big rush since she wasn't going to let him out o her sight anytime soon. Finally, once I got to my feet there on the ground, I walked over a few steps to see the scene in front of me.

She had her heel on his shoulder, digging down pretty hard now as he was on his back, facing up and staring at the trees high above him with a glazed look in his eye. His nose was already bleeding, not too bad but enough for me to see that O'Neal almost broke it. Even the look on his face showed that he was sobering up, but not completely yet. His hair was black and already looked dissolved and out of place, his clothes were a but messy with even some hints of blood there along his sleeves near his hands. It made me wonder.

"You're coming with us," I simply replied to the soldier, seeing him move his glazed eyes over at me and looked at me up and down now, already judging me and trying to make of me.

"I didn't do a thing!" He said in a grumble to me now, O'Neal keeping her heel tight on his shoulder with no weak spot seen.

"We have it on good authority that you shot at least three mean while under the influence," I explained to him calmly, though I knew deep inside I was feeling a sense of protectiveness and rage that was wanting to get out at any moment, "I'm going to say this to you once: You are coming with us and we are going to turn you over to the proper authorities and have them deal with you in a proper fashion."

He stared at me, no clear indication stop what he was thinking about from where I was standing, but I could tell he was thinking. I could see O'Neal out of my the corner of my eye as I was still staring this man down, seeing her own set of anger about to come over her very soon if he was going to say or do there wrong thing, she was ready to snap. Who could blame her? We are close enough to Easy Company that they almost acted like there were one of our own. I knew if it was one of my own from Black Mamba, that person would either be dead or close to being in a coma.

Now we were acting the same way, or we wanted the same thing for Grant.

"I don't have to answer to you bitches."

I flashed a look over to O'Neal, seeing her lean down and grasp the soldier by the front of his jacket. She hauled him like a sack of potatoes, lifting a bit higher off the ground and making it seem like he was as light as a feather. She had strength on her side, and with him trying to weakly paw her off of him, I walked over now with him seeing him and I Grasped one of his fingers as he was trying to get to O'Neal. I pulled it back clean, hearing the pop of the his bone there and he cried out, already loosing his battle as he looked at me in horror. I knew had I had to take him alive, he was not worth it to me to torment him.

He had to deal with Easy first.

"You're right, you dont have to answer to us," I replied in a lower register for him, "You know that man who shot in the head?"

He said nothing, but I knew he understood who I was talking about.

"You're going to answer to his own company."

* * *

"In here," I dragged the soldier in, O'Neal and the others right behind me as we got him into the lobby of the hotel where we knew we had to drop him off. Some of the Easy members, along with Dunkle, were watching now with wide eyes as we were taking in the soldier now as if we were taking him in to sober up from a drunken night out on the town. But this time, he was covered in blood with his nose still damaged. No one said a word, no one wanted to since they felt like they were going to jinx it as we got him into the middle of the lobby. He was grunted as we went, his finger still busted and his nose still tender as he was still trying to get out of my grasp in a weak attempt.

Once I knew we were close enough into the lobby, the others in Black Mamba stayed close by as I placed him on the floor. I looked to see none other than Malarky walking over, his eyes on me as I was gazing at the soldier who was struggling to get up. Babe almost whistled through his teeth now as Popeye, Bull, Johnny Martin walked over to stand with Malarky now.

"Don't get your blood on the floor or on my boots," I warned him as Malarky spoke up.

"Where was he?" He asked.

"An hour from the sight where he shot Grant," I explained, "Where's Grant now?"

"Doc and Captain Spiers took him to find a Doctor in town," He explained, looking back down at the soldier now and I could tell he was trying to think of what to do with the man there. Malarky was more rational than most, he was a thinker and he had a good head on his shoulders. But I knew if I was in his position, I would want to kill the bastard right there for what he did to Grant. I didn't know how else to ease that pain, and I knew that killing him would be the route that was not praised on. They still had to report him in, but they were ultimately the ones that had to deal with him.

"Did he give you any trouble?" Malarky asked out of the blue, almost having em look at him in confusion now since I didn't expect that question to come out of him.

"He insulted us, to put it lightly," O'Neal said behind me, and I was wanted to hush her since now was not the time for such things. But Bull moved before I could act, getting the soldier ups with his own strength and the man stumbled a bit. Compared to O'Neal, Bull handled him as if he was a toy with his massive hands.

"We don't insult women back home, boy," he wanted the soldier there was he was now dangling in the air, "Wrong choice, espically when one of them's a Captain."

"Get him in the room before anything else happens," Johnny instructed Bull, Bull dragged the man over now as the man was grunting along the way. Popeye and Babe followed Johnny over to the same room, closing the doors behind them and it left me with Malarky there along with Black Mamba. I looked a gaze at O'Neal.

"Get word out to the others in Easy that we found the man," I instructed her, some of the girls walking off to do just that. I was left there with Malarky, seeing him still think to himself and let out a shaky breath of his own. There was a itch for me to reach out and at least give him some kind of comfort as to what happened, to show him that everything was okay. But he beat me to the punch.

"Thank you," He simply said it, not in a blunt way at all, but in a way that I knew he meant it. I smiled at him the first time in a long time that I smiled that whole night since I got word about Grant. He breathed out slowly, "Thank you for helping us."

"We look out for each other, even now at the end of the war," I reminded him, trying to sound kind about it and he watched me carefully. He slowly gave me a reassuring nod that he understood. He looked back at the room now, having me also hear what was going on behind the doors. They ere roughing him up, it was clearly heard since the grunts and the punches against the skin.

"I take it you want go in there?" Malarky asked me, almost in hesitance now as I shook my heard slowly.

"I already broke his finger, I've had enough," I replied, moving away from him now as over to the doors that were going to lead me out into the street again. I was weary, I didn't want to do anymore violence anymore. I didn't know if it was because we were at the end of the war, or if I have seen too much blood that was during through my fingers, but I was ready to be done with war and killing.

"Captain," Malarky called out to me now, having me stop and look over my shoulder at him now, "At least wait for Captain Spiers. He'll need to hear it from you," He had a point, I would have to explain what happened to another Captain and see what they would want to do. I didn't know what Spiers was going to want to do with him, but from what I knew about him, it was not going to be pretty.

I nodded head, against my better judgment.

* * *

I felt like I was making a track in the marble floor of the lobby for the plenty of times I paced back and forth. The grunts and the blues were still heard and were almost getting louder and louder with every new Easy Company member that I watched go into the room.

I wasn't the only one in the room, a few of the Easy members were sitting in the cushioned chairs in front of a coffee table. Luz was smoking his second cigarette for the night, mostly because of the situation at hand, and Tab was dealing out another round of cards for the both of them. They were closer to the action behind the glass doors, yet they both were seeming rather calm about it. At least Luz was, of course he was the one who was trying to seem light compared to Talbert who seemed to be on edge with what was going on to the man there and what his friends were trying to do to him.

But the time I was almost making my own boot arms a permanent piece of the floor plan, my own nerves were getting the best of me now. I really just wanted to pull my hair out, from what that man id in there to Grant and how he was handling it like it was just another day for him.

"Need a drink, Captain?" Luz asked me out of the blue, having me stop my pacing and look over at him. His had his cigarette hanging out of his mouth and he was holding a small glass of whisky out to me, as if he was expecting me to take it without a second thought. A casual drink no doubt.

"I'm good, Luz," I replied in a shaky tone, though I tried to make it sound leveled.

"I ain't gonna judge you Captain, trust me. You look like you need it," Luz reassured me, his voice sounded more serious now as he still had his glass in his hand. I sighed, thinking that there was nothing else that would hold me back from doing that. Finally I just walked over the last few steps that were left between the both of us and I snagged the glass, sinking the drink down my throat within a second and the burning sensation hitting me hard and having me cringe a bit. Luz whistled and Talbert watched with wide eyes.

"Damn," Talbert cursed.

"If this was a different situation and you weren't a captain, I would be in love," Luz said in almost a daze as one of the doors behind us opened. Spiers strolled into the room, a stern look in his eyes and a pistol in his hand. Something in the way he moved across the floor made the three of us freeze. But once he locked eyes with me, he saw me and in how I was standing there along and almost shaking up a bit now as he spoke mostly to Luz.

"Where is he?" He asked once.

"How's Grant?" Talbert asked back.

"Where is he?"

"Is he going to be okay?"

"WHERE IS HE?" It was a boom of a voice now as made the three of us feel our own blood go cold. I haven't heard him use that voice in what seemed like months back when we were fighting once again. But then again I knew that he grew close to Grant and he was seeing almost hit of red there within his own eyes.

Luz pointed to the door where they were holding him and roughing him up. Spiers walked over a few steps, but as he passed and was about to go in he stopped and stared right at me. it made me freeze too as we locked eyes and I could see he was scanning me a bit to to make sure I was okay.

"Did he do something to you, Captain?" He finally asked me, having me hear the venom in his voice now as I slowly shook my head. He wasn't trying to look more into the visual looking in my head going back and forth, but he he was looking more inward with me, reading my own energy in a way.

He knew I was shaken up.

"Spiers…" I started, but he walked away from me before I could stop him, his step already back in and working. He walked into the room and I rubbed my eyes together in frustration. This was not how I wanted it to work, and for me to talk to Spier sand try to calm him down was not going to do any good.

"I need to get out of here," I mumbled to myself now as I placed the glass on the ground and I could feel my now hands shaking.

"Want me to help you find Eugene?" Luz suggested to me as I shook my head wanting to open up another can of worms and bring Eugene into this mess.

"I'm going to find the other girls and check on them," I replied back as I walked out of the lobby and into the cold night. Just being within a close proximity to that man that decided to mix things up and try to break out own spirits. It felt like we were just meant to go home and now one of our own was close to dying.

I just wanted to go home.


	31. Chapter 31

Of all the times I really needed a cigarette and I couldn't have one, this was the one time where I would really kill a person for one. I was on edge.

For all the crap that was going on in the town there within the last few hours, the sky itself was beyond peaceful and calming, showing the plenty of stars that were out and shining on our town. It could have been any other night, any other night for us that were still here, that were still stuck to nowhere else to go. It must have been ironic or a sick joke from God, giving us a beautiful night and yet one of us could die at any moment.

Thanks a lot, God.

"Come with me, we can take care of Grant," Spiers walked out of the lobby of the hotel and right over to me, having me see a sense of determination there on his face not to mention drive and a need to succeed or fulfill something. But compared to me seeing him several minutes before, something was off with him.

"Captain?" I asked, walking in step with him as he was moving along down the road a bit. I wondered what he was thinking about, what happened to the soldier since he walked into the room, and mostly if things were going to work out in the end, "What happened to that soldier?"

"MP's are going to take care of him." Spiers replied to me as we were still walking along the dark road, "The rest of the men were close to killing him."

"Was that your call?" I asked him as I could see he was leading the both of us over to a jeep that was parked on the other side of the road a few feet away from us, "Letting him live?"

"One of the more harder calls to address, no doubt," Spiers answered, more in a bark than anything really as we hopped in the jeep, me in the passenger and Spiers driving. I didn't want to push it any farther, I really didn't since it felt like beating a dead horse with one of the sniper rifles, but Spiers brought it up one more time, "He mentioned you in a way that was not appropriate."

"He was drunk."

"Not an excuse," Spiers countered as we started driving down the road, a bit faster than we should in the dead of night. I could see the small dim lighted houses moving past us as we were about to turn over onto another street,"He's still a soldier that spoke ill of a Captain."

"Good thing he's going to be taken care of then," I commented,"I've had worse experiences with others who were under the influence, this was nothing." There was a pregnant pause there, having me think that I said the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"I take it those experiences happened outside of the army, no doubt," He finally voiced, having me instantly nod my head since I knew he was thinking I already had an encounter like this one before while I was serving.

"None of that happened while I was with Black Mamba," I reassured, "Just before then back at home."

"I don't want to pry," He started, giving me a quick look to see if I was prying before looking back on the road and making a turn to the right, "But I always wondered why you wanted to join the military, give the circumstances that you were in apparently."

"Some people think of the military as an opportunity, Captain," I explained, "I on the other hadn't thought of it as an escape." I didn't want it to sound ill on my part since my own past was the great topic of discussion while driving to help a wounded soldier, but I also didn't want to talk about anymore and bring up anymore awkward talk about me in general. All I wanted to do at that point was check and make sure Grant was okay. Spiers got the gentle hint, not saying anything else as we were driving along for a few more minutes.

Spiers was good at that: he could read you like a book and yet not say a word.

* * *

"In here," I walked in with Spiers into what looked like a small lit doctor's office in the outskirt of town, a few candles were lit and a few lamps as well were set in the main operation room. I looked around the area, seeing the German doctor, in his night robe, hunched over the unconscious Grant and checking his wounds once more. It was nice and quiet, the Doctor was quiet in his work and the only sound that was distinctively heard was Grant, heavily breathing and trying to keep his lungs working from all he went through.

But where was Eugene?

"How are we doing, Doctor?" Spiers asked him as he walked over to stand by Grant, having me wait back a bit now to give them some space as the Doctor finally spoke up.

"He's breathing and stable for now. I need to watch him for at least a few more hours to make sure he won't slip," The Doctor replied with his heavy accent, he finally looked over at me now with his hands still connecting to Grant's skin. He looked a bit older, almost around Major's Winters age if not older than him barely. For someone who was a Doctor, he looked wise beyond his years and yet calm in his situation with Americans in the dead of night.

"Are you an officer as well?" He asked me, almost having me tongued tied. Spiers thankfully spoke up for me.

"She was the one who found the soldier who did this to Grant," Spiers explained to him, looking over at me briefly before locking his eyes to Grant who was on the table, "She turned him in."

"Good to hear," The Doctor remarked to me mostly before he went back to work on Grant.

"Where's my medic that was helping you?" Spiers asked, now having my attention as we were still standing there in the operation room.

"Eugene Roe? He went to find me more supplies in my storage room, I sent him about a minute ago," The Doctor explained as he grabbed another gauze to wipe down some of the blood on Grant, "He's a good medic, by the way. Is that his career…back at his home?" It was odd for him to ask something like that about Eugene, but I finally spoke up for the first time since we came in here.

"He drills for oil," I explained, the Doctor looking over at me with a hint of surprise when Spiers was a bit shocked that I spoke up about Eugene in a way.

"Ah, well if he could he could be a Doctor if he wanted. I see potential in him," The doctor commented, giving me a small smile as he went back to work. Finally, feeling my feet had no sense of lead in them, I walked over carefully to see Grant. moving away from the Doctor to have him get to work on my friend, I finally peered down to see him. His face and head was mostly wrapped up and covered, not showing any evidence of the gunshot wound that he encountered, but I could see that he was still breathing slowly with the rise and fall of his chest. One of his hands was on the top of his stomach and the others resting on his side, Spiers taking it in his own hand to provide some sense of comfort.

"For the kind of wound that he suffered along with his head, he's lucky to still be alive," The Doctor explained as he was finishing up, "A few inches to the left and he would have been dead on the spot. You'll need to get him out of here first thing in the morning when I know he's stable so he can get proper treatment."

"I'll take care of that," I piped up, then hearing the door behind us open and we all looked over. It was Eugene, coming in and holding a bunch if medical supplies under his arms before he closed the door quickly. But once he closed and looked in our direction, he saw me and his eyes went wide for a quick second before he walked over briskly to the Doctor.

"Thank you, Eugene," The Doctor thanked him, taking some of those supplies from him and placing them on the table by Grant, "This was all I needed."

"Roe, go get some rest," Spiers, ordered him softly as he was still holding Grant's hand,"Unless the Doctor still needs you."

"I've got all I needed, he's been more than helpful anyhow. Let him rest," The Doctor reassured him now as I walked over to Eugene, not being too close but close enough for the both of us.

"I'll drive him back into town," I explained to Spiers, "And I'll let Major Winters know about Grant's condition and progress,"

Spiers nodded his shade then focusing back on Grant now as he was trying to either contain his own emotions or just be there for his unconscious friend, "I'll report to them in the morning."

Eugene and I finally walked away from the operation room and out into the open air of the night, leaving the Doctor and Spiers behind with Grant. I breathed out, collecting my thoughts once more with all that happened as Eugene was looking back at the office once again, as if he didn't want to leave.

"You okay?" I asked him, thinking that he was too lost within his own head since he's bene with Grant when they brought him in. He bit his lower lip, breathing out through his nose as he slowly nodded his head.

"Grant will be okay," he said, mostly I think to remind himself that instead of not me. I reached over to touch his arm and he finally looked at me for the first time since we were alone. I could see the uneasiness, bloodies and bags were forming under his eyes. He was tired, I sensed it.

"Let's head back and get some sleep," I urged him calmly, feeling him move to intertwine our fingers together since we were alone now and no one else was watching us, "You need to sleep."

"So do you," He reminded me, "You were huntin' the guy for at least an hour."

"True," I agreed, "But you need it more. Come on, I'll drive." We both walked over to the jeep as Eugene plopped down in the passenger's seat. I got on the driver's side, turning the car on with the keys and then waiting for a moment. It felt like I needed to give him some kind of comfort and reassurance since he's been through enough as it was for one night. I thought I had it bad: Eugene almost saw another soldier with his company die at the hands of unusual circumstances. It wasn't fair, Eugene needed a new simple life that was not going to haunt him or make him feel any pain or remorse.

I leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, feeling how cold his skin was compared to what I was used to when were together in the past. he looked at me after I did that, his tired eyes searching my own as I gave him a tired smile.

"You're stayin' with me, I'll have Spine take over for the evenin'," I explained to him, seeing him give me his own smile since it felt like he was not going to argue with me on this one. I turned to pale my hands on the wheel and I got the jeep started, getting the both of us back to our own safe haven back in town and trying to get his night behind us.

* * *

The first thing I could smell in the air was coffee, freshly brewed.

It made me open one eye, seeing the curtains in the room gently move in and out from the window and the small sounds of jeeps rolling by and boots walking on the street floor. I could even breathe in the small smell of flowers that were on the window sills of neighboring apartments. Finally, I got my second eye open that was still on my pillow and I slowly got up from laying on my side.

"Want some coffee?" I heard from the kitchen of the apartment. I squinted a bit, feeling a kink in my neck and I swung my feet to touch the carpet below me. It felt good to sleep in for a few more hours than I was used to, even with what happened the night before. I knew that day I would have to go over and check in on grant since the others would want to hear about him, Black Mamba would want to for sure.

"I got some milk too if you need it," I grabbed my spare jacket that I had draped over the chair that was sitting next to the bedroom. I slept in my spare shirt and combat pants, Eugene doing the same since going to that next step was not yet a bridge that we wanted to cross just yet. It wouldn't be right since we both were technically still in the Army, and I didn't know if he even wanted to go there with my just yet. Of course, that would be insecure of mine if he would say no to me, and yet he would seem like someone that would not string me along in such a manner.

I walked over to the kitchen, seeing Eugene in his white shirt and combat pants, barefoot against the wood floors and he was getting this coffee in his cup. I saw some of his black hair disheveled from sleeping, but how his shoulders weren't hunched and his relaxed he was standing, he had a good night's sleep.

"You made me coffee?" I asked him as I walked over to stand next to him, seeing him grin as he poured a bit of milk in my cup before handing it to me. The cup was nice and warm against my fingers and I breathed in the scent only to have it cool down a bit.

"I thought you would need it from last night," I explained as he took his own coffee straight black. We breathed in our coffee for a moment or two before I finally spoke up.

"We should get a kitchen," I voiced, mostly s a comment and out of the blue as Eugene snorted.

"A big one?" He asked, playing along.

"As along as it's big enough for me to cook in," I replied.

"I'm a good cook too," He reminded me, "Remember that gumbo that we made back in Landsburg?"

"I made that, you are supervising me and makin' sure I wasn't gonna burn the stuff," I argued against him as he finally took a long sip from his own coffee.

"You're not wrong on that one," He agreed, having me smile since it already felt like we were bickering like a married couple already. It still made me think, once again, of what was going to come of us as we were still technically in the war. With Black Mamba being done in the army for the war, and with no real idea as to when Eugene would go to the Pacific and then come home, we had to come up with some kind pf plan before anything else were to happen to the both of us.

"When I go home, I can stay with my sister until I find a place for the both of us," I explained to him, almost rushing trough it since I wanted it to come out in the open now, then taking a large sip to tho calm em down and get my head cleared and level once more.

"Not with your parents?" He suggested, then paling before he saw me giving him some kind of look. He knew about them, and now he remembered and he shook his head, "Your sister's better."

"Either her or my Uncle," I added, "I could go to him. He could help us out in the end if we needed it. He's not like my mother: he's the nice one."

"And what are you gonna do? Wait around for me to come home?" He asked me, almost not liking the idea of me trying to figure out our future on my own while he was on his own.

"I'm willin' to do that, just as long as you get through The Pacific alive," I reminded him as I took another sip. He bit his lower lip slightly not as much as he did before, "And if it was me going over there and you goin' home, you would have waited for me." he took one more sip before we locked eyes with each other, finally having that argument settle in and be done. He gave me his small smile then, having me once again be amazed and how controlled he was when it came to arguments and confrontations.

"I would have waited," He answered, "I love ya too damn much to not wait for you. Which brings up another great topic: my parents."

"They sound lovely from what you told me," I commented.

"Ya need to meet them, at least when I get home you gotta meet them," He explained as he finished off his coffee and I took another sip from my own coffee. Eugene was already cleaning his cup as he kept talking, "I wrote about you to my ma. She's smitten by you already."

"What did you tell her?" I asked in curiosity.

"Told her all I knew about ya, only the good stuff," he chuckled at me in reassurance.

"Oh, well thank you very much for not giving her the grubby details of my life," I joked with him almost half-heartedly, "Plus I would love to meet her. That means you're going to have to meet my sister, and I don't know how she's gonna handle me tellin' her that I fell in love with another Cajun."

"You think she'd like me?" He asked in curiosity as we both were leaning against the counter and I fidgeted a bit with my jacket sleeve that I was wearing. It was almost a bit cute in how he was concerned if my sister would like me and approve of him. It made me pause on my fidgeting and reach over to lace our fingers together to hold gently. He paused too, eyeing our joined hands. it gave me a flutter.

"I think she would love you," I answered him truthfully, finally standing in front of him and seeing him eye me almost sheepishly. I would that look he would have, the look of both uncertainty and question, and yet it was also gentle and kind at the same time, "Mostly because I kind of like you and you're stuck with me."

He chuckled, pulling me a bit towards him now to have his other hand touch my waist lightly with the tips of his fingers. I could see the deep blue of his eyes and how they almost sparkled in the morning sunrise that was seeping into our apartment. HIs smooth skin, not at all tainted by the war, the slightly pointed nose he had. It was all beautiful to me.

"You just like me?" he questioned, having me give him a small grin as if I was trying to be coy. I wasn't a Captain with him in front of me, nor was I a soldier and neither was he. The way we looked at each other was like we were back in some place, away from here and away from the pain and death of the war. Maybe in a park, alone together underneath the willow trees or within a small shop with plenty of books.

"Nah," I replied, "I love you."

* * *

"He's going out as soon as we get word from the boat," I heard Spiers explain to me now as we both were standing outside the Doctor's Office, once again, checking up on Grant and seeing how he's doing. We waited another full day to make sure that he was going to pull through, which he did thankfully and there wasn't hiccups in the night. The German Doctor did his magic and then some, we were grateful to him.

It was almost high noon as we were about to go over to the main area where we were having more drills done and other companies were coming in for training. We were no longer the main companies there, plenty of more that were moving on to the Pacific and they were about to be ready for the second wave of war.

"I'll be glad to let the others in Black Mamba know before we ship out early in the morning," I explained to him as he looked over at the door once more. it was another reminder of this day: the last day here before I was about to head home with Black Mamba. It was bittersweet on my tongue for more than just one reason, many things were wanting em to stay behind with them and at least be with them in the Pacific. It was the protectiveness that I inherited from the moment I swore myself in, and for me, it deepened and was more of a serious bond when I met and grew close to Easy.

I blamed them.

"Are you ready to go back home and turn in your wings?" He asked me, having me slowly shake my head as I was looking away from the door and back over in the direction of the town where the rest of the companies were.

"I don't think any of us are, Captain," I answered honestly to him as I thought about it some more, then finally looking over at him, "What are you going to do?"

"Stay on with Easy and get them ready for the Pacific," he replied smoothly, almost like he recited it plenty of times before, "Make sure that they know what they're doing."

"What about Major Winters?" I asked him now in confusion, now looking back at him again.

"There's been whispers about him going over to Japan for a transfer, another airborne drop in," It almost sunk into the pit of my stomach. Their fearless leader, someone whom I looked to for counsel and advice. But for him to leave Easy now, when they needed someone that most to lead them and to counsel them, it didn't seem fair or right in the slightest.

"What's going to happen if they're true?" I asked him, almost in a shaky tone since it was something that I didn't want to hear the truthful answer that could all worse. But it was just another piece of this puzzle that had to end sooner or later.

Clearly, things were moving along into the future, whether I was ready for it or not.


	32. Chapter 32

There were plenty of soldiers everywhere as I pulled up with the private in the jeep, the both of us seeing a group of German soldiers standing at attention facing away from us and over to the mass trees that were scattered across the landscape. The private turned off the jeep I hopped out, seeing Winters and Nixon pulling up themselves and noticing the German General from before. He was still dressed in his gear, looking somber about this formal surrender that was about to happen and yet still tall. Lipton was there to talk to him as Liebgott saluted him, walking then to both Nixon and Winters, He was walking away from the General as I walked over to the three of them.

"What's going on, sir?" I asked as I saluted Nixon and Winters. They both saluted back to me.

"General's going to surrender to Lieutenant Lipton. It was going to be Private Heffron, but the General didn't feel as though that it was appropriate," Winters explained as Liebgott saw me and stood next to me and threw a salute my way.

"Captain," Liebgott grunted to me as I nodded at him, focusing back at Winters now.

"A formal surrender?" I asked him in intrigue, but it was cut short as the General walked over near us, all of us snapping our heads in his direction now he was right next to Lipton but he kept his gaze on Major Winters. He clicked his heels and did a short bow to him, my stance by LIebgott was shifting a bit as I was wondering what he was going to do next. Yet Winters motioned for him to Lipton, since he was the one who was conducting the surrender, not Winters. The General looked at Lipton now, who was unwavering in his own stance.

"With your permission, I would like to address my men, briefly."

"That'll be fine, General," Lipton replied, softly as he was talking to anyone else in Easy. The General nodded to both him and Winters, finally walking away now back to his men as a truck was driving away. It snapped my attention over to the area of the truck, finally seeing who it was that was walking in our direction with a private hot on his heels. I felt my own breath leave me since it felt like I was seeing a ghost or someone from a past life.

Captain Sobel.

Without realizing it, my hand snapped over to touch the top of Liebgott's hand, yet my eyes were still trained on Sobel who was walking closer and closer now. Liebgott looked too, his eyes were wide now in shock as Sobel seemed to be trying to avoid making eye contact with our group. But it wasn't our group, specifically it the Major Winters. He was avoiding him. The Bastard.

Of course, the private saluted Winters as they were walking by, Winters in return saluted him back, yet nothing from Sobel. It was almost like this was a purposeful thing, and yet Winters stayed cool about it when I wanted nothing more than to scream at Sobel for not showing Winters respect.

"Captain Sobel."

"Major Winters." It was short and nothing else from that.

"Captain Sobel," Winters said again, finally stopping Sobel in his tracks now and it felt like he was digging his heels so hard into the group it would make tracks from the anger he was feeling. I watched Winters carefully to see what he was going to do next and with the calmness of a voice, not stern or boisterous, he said one phrase that would have my vision of him once again shift:

"You salute the rank, not the man."

It looked like Sobel had words wanting to come out but he swallowed it down, and yet with heavy reluctance, he stood in front of Winters and slowly saluted him, the stern look on his face was either shame or defeat. I couldn't tell from my angle, but I knew it wasn't good. Winters finally saluted back, Sobel lowering his arm now and was about to leave when he finally saw me next to Liebgott. He froze, this time almost shocked from what he was seeing and with the new rank that I had compared to when he saw me last years ago. I kept my own cool stare at he was looking at my uniform, finally with many grievances showing me a salute as well.

The icing on the cake.

I saluted back to him now, not showing any remorse whatsoever since I knew he was the first one who really doubted me and tried to push me out when I was about to go to war. My first obstacle, real obstacle, was him. And yet I won and was at the same ranking at him, something he never would see. He walked away from me finally, from our group, my hand lowering from him and I watched him sulk away and yet still walk with his head up high.

"Bastard," Liebgott grumbled, having me look over at him and almost forget that he was there from that whole exchange with Sobel. Liebgott has a scowl looked as he was then looking over at me. The cost of war was on his face, the lines here and there along the top of his face and the scar on his neck. He changed, and yet he stayed the same. He then gave me a small shove of his shoulder against my own.

"You were more a Captain than he ever was," Liebgott reassured me under his breath as he watched Sobel walk away, his own stare at his old Captain was both in shock and bitterness. I looked away finally as the German General pose to his men in his native tongue, his voice loud as clear as both Liebgott and myself walked over to Winter's and Nixon's jeep.

"Liebgott?" Winters asked, Liebgott then turning to lean against the jeep and he started to translate for the sake of us knowing what he was saying:

"Men, it's been a long war, it's been a tough war. You have fought bravely, proudly, for your country. You're a special group, who found in one another a bond that exists only in combat. Amongst brothers, of shared foxholes. Held each other in dire moments. Haven seen death and suffered together. I am proud to have served with each and every one of you. You deserve long and happy lives."

* * *

It was the day that I dreaded the most, for multiple reasons to be fair, but I didn't want to go through with it. As the sun peeked over the mountains that we were nestled in, it was a bitter reminder of what was going to happen within the next few hours. We got word from Matthews that we were going to leave that morning, try to get on the road and over to the coast in time to be out on the ocean late into the night and early into the next morning. He didn't want to risk us staying another day or so because of the changing of the war from Europe now over to The Pacific, He had a point, but still, it was going to be bitter.

Very bitter, since I had two hours left there. Two hours left with Easy.

After I zipped up my bag on final time, back in my regular uniform and my hair braided once again, it almost seemed like we were back at basic training. The crisp look of our uniform and now blood or dirt stained along the fabric, the clean look of our Sigma along our arms and the shine of our boots. I felt like we were going back in time when I placed my uniform on, my braid that came all the way down my back was now tucked into a bun near the back of my neck. But at this moment I wasn't happy about being in a nice uniform.

It was dreadful.

I walked out of the hallway, bag in hand and I couldn't hear anything from the other rooms. I knew that it was still a bit early anyhow for anyone else to be awake since they were sleeping in more and more as of late, but it was another weary feeling that came over me.

The sun was brighter that morning as I got onto the cobbled street, already seeing a few soldier walking around here and there in pairs and getting their breakfast in. I looked once way, and then another way to see none other than O'Neal with Harper and some of the others walking over with their bags in hand. They too had surreal looks on their face and their hair was tucked away too. I gave them each a small smile, not wanting this whole experience to be bad in the end.

"You look tip top in shape, Captain," O'Neal complimented me, acting like her usual self when she winked at me and the others were chuckling from her comment.

"Too late to butter me up now," I replied back to her, "Where are the others anyhow?"

"Saying their goodbye to some of the Easy men," Harper answered for her, "Some of them were wondering if you were going to say goodbye to them."

"If we have time then I will, but I want to make sure that we're going to be on that truck in time to make it home," I explained to him, yet it almost came out bitter since it was getting under my skin already in the morning. I install locked eyes with O'Neal since I knew she was thinking of the one person that would want to say goodbye to me. I didn't want to do that yet, and I gave her a small look to keep her mouth shut.

She understood.

Speaking of which, I could hear a few steps coming over our way and we all looked, seeing Eugene as if he was coming on due to talk to me. Of course, it had to be now, the both of us need to talk about what was going to happen since now we were going to split. He even looked uneasy, wearing a white shirt with his combat pants and boots and Spina wearing the same behind him. They looked relaxed in how they walked, but I could read it on Eugene's face.

He was dreading this.

"I'll see ya later, Doc," Spina split off from him, walking over to the left into one of the hotel lobbies to catch up with other soldiers walking in. O'Neal, right after Spina not missing a beat, cleared her throat.

"Let's go get the rest of the girls ready to go," She said to the others in Black Mamba away from us too. Spina and O'Neal somehow knew Eugene and I needed to talk alone, that information alone was enough to scare me as Eugene and I were left there in the middle of the road. I analyzed Eugene, seeing the black hair soft once more from sleeping in a bed compared to a foxhole and how the black hair reflected off his skin in contrast. Since we got a bed to sleep him his sleep was getting better, it was seen with fewer circles under his eyes and a fuller face that wasn't washed out.

"Hey," I said to him finally, thinking that I should start this conversation.

"Hey," he mimicked back, his voice thick and low, already having me dread from the thought of not hearing it from day to day, "Wanted to see ya before you left. I didn't know when you were gonna leave anyways,"

"After lunch I think," I answered him, seeing him give me a small smile before he reached into his pocket for something, shuffling his fingers around a bit before he pulled out a small sliver of paper.

"Wanted to give you this before I forget," He explained, handing it to me gently. Once I took it from him, I opened it to find his address and phone number at the bottom, "My Ma wants you to meet her as soon as you can…since you know…I kind of like ya and all,"

That statement made me give him a small smile. At first, it was genuine, bur it morphed into sadness since it really did feel like we were separating from each other now. I didn't want to feel this, I never thought I would, and I finally grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him into a hug.

The both of us stayed in the hug, out in broad daylight since we knew it was the closest thing to a kiss that either one of us was going to get and accept. There have been plenty of times when I went to sleep dreading this moment and hoping that it wouldn't come through. But now that it was really happening, it was feeling a lot worse within myself.

"I wish you could come with me," I murmured to him, feeling him hug me a little bit tighter now as we weren't even close to letting each other go yet, "I don't wanna leave ya here."

"I don't wanna leave ya either," Eugene murmured against my hair, "But we both knew at least one of us was going to to go home before the others."

"It had to be me, damn it," I cursed, seeing a tug of Eugene lips against my hair. It could have been a smile really since I hugged him some more and took one more deep breath before I knew I was going to loose it.

"Promise me you're gonna back. I know you are…I just need to hear it one more time," I explained to him. God, I sounded pathetic and unsure about the both of us and if we were going to make it. We survived a whole war over in Europe, plenty of brushes with death. Eugene has seen death more times than one person should, seeing friends die right tin front of him and yet he carried on. On my side I pulled the trigger without blinking, making sure others were taken care of before my own needs. And yet, we both found each other and saw each other and worthy. He didn't see me as a killer, and I didn't see him as less than perfect when it came to being a friend and something more. To me, Eugene was home, he was peace, and he brought me back from the darkness.

Eugene pulled away a bit to have the both of us locked eyes with each other. The blue in his eyes was still dark enough to have me imagine a storm, both of chaos, and beauty at the same time. But now they were a bit lighter from the sun coming through, having me loose my train of through for a brief moment.

"I promise you that I'm comin' back to you, Olive. Nothin's gonna stop me," He reminded me, even his own voice was staying soothing and leveled. He gave me one more warm smiled before we hugged each other again and I snuck a small and secret kiss on the side of his head.

"I love you," I said it to him one more time, letting those three words sink in between us and go under our skins. I tried to think of a better way than this: that something good would happen in the end and we both could be happy.

"I love you too," He replied to me and he snuck his own kiss in my hair. I wanted to freeze that moment for the longest time, to not leave him behind as I was trying to get my normal life start. What was I going to say to my parents, let alone my Uncle and Sister since I was disowned and I was coming back from the war?

What was I going to do?

* * *

"Major Winters, sir?" I asked, tapping the door a few times with my knuckles. Winters wanted to meet with me before I was going to go out onto the trucks and out of town. I knew that I was going to have to have one more meeting with Major Winters before I was gone for good, and since he was someone that I looked up to as a leader, I wanted to end it on a good note with him.

"Come in, Captain," I opened the door, finally walking into the office that he took over when we came into the town. He was dressed in his formal uniform as well, hunched over a few more papers as I saluted him once I was standing in front of his desk.

"Thank you for letting me come in this early," I thanked him as he saluted me back and we lowered our arms.

"Not at all, I'm glad I caught you before you got on the next ship home." He replied to me with his own warm smile, "Some of the guys were wondering if you and the others in Black Mamba were going to stay a bit longer today since they're were going to play a round of baseball."

"I'm sure Harper and at least O'Neal would love to play," I comment, hearing him chuckle.

"You not a baseball player yourself?" He asked me curiously.

"No, my mother would have never allowed it," I replied back in a light manner, "Harper and O'Neal learned when they were younger. I didn't have that luxury," He gave me a small pause from what I said, then he cleared his throat lightly as he stood right in front of me and in front of his desk.

"I wanted to debrief you, though I'm going to make it very quick since you have a ship to catch," He explained to me, "But mostly, I wanted to talk to you and give you a proper send-off."

"I appreciate that sir," I resounded.

"Good. I know Sink is going to want me to report to you about you and your work with Easy, your work ethic and performance, and how you rang Black Mamba since you took command," He explained some more as I listened carefully, "Although I know what I'm going to say personally, I want you to at least give me some insight into how you did as an acting Captain."

"Just as a Captain sir?"I questioned, seeing a small smile on his face.

"Well given the fact that you're the first female Captain in the US Army history, with Black Mamba also being the first all-female Special Operations Unit in US Army history as well, I want to know if you think you guys did the best you could do out there," He went into more detail about it, which made me think and pause there in my stance in front of him. Did he want to know my opinion? What was I going to tell him and how was I going to say it.

"If you don't me asking…why do you want to know my opinion?" I asked him, trying not to sound mean about it. He moved away from me finally and back over to the desk and pointing to the papers there on the top.

"Sink is requesting in the next few years that we have more Special Operation Units like Black Mamba," He answered, in which my own eyes lit up with the thought and notion. Another Black Mamba? Did he approve of that already?

"Really, sir?" I asked in disbelief, trying to hide the obvious glow on my face.

"Yes, but it's still confidential so I'm going to trust this won't leave the room," he advised, having me nod my head as he went on, "Sink thinks Black Mamba has done amazing progress since you first jumped into Normandy. He feels the same kind of training and regiment that you and your unit went through, another unit can be just a successful if not more. He is requesting a detailed report from me from what I saw with Black Mamba while they were with Easy Company, and he also wants to hear from you."

"I'm to do that for him, sir," I replied to him, thinking that it would be better this way than to not say anything at all. Winters took his own breath from seeing my reaction.

"I also wanted to touch base with you personally," He admitted, "I know you had more on your plate with the Special Operations Unit, and with the death of your previous Captain you had to take on more of a load than you should,"

"I don't think so, sir," I interjected, seeing him look at me in surprise as I said that to him. I felt like I interrupted at the wrong time myself, but I knew I had to say something.

"What makes you say that, Captain?" He asked me, pure curiosity was in his tone.

"I didn't think of it as a burden, sir," I explained calmly, "I knew what could happen as soon as Captain Josephine made me 1st Lieutenant, and I accepted that notion that she could….that she could die, sir," I took in my own breath, that thought of her death and how I saw the whole thing was so clear that it almost made me loose my breath, "All I wanted to do was to make sure that I did her proud, takin' on the Unit after she passed." It was true, all I wanted to really do was make sure that Black Mamba was going to survive this war. But that also meant that I was going to put my own self in harm's way, the scar on my neck was still a reminder of that time and when I almost died. All I could think of in that moment was that it was better that it was me than them.

"Well, if I'm allowed to say this, but I would think Captain Josephine would be beyond proud of you," Winters chimed in after what felt like I was silent for far too long, thinking too much in my head of all the things I knew I could have done better. But once he said that, it almost felt like a weight was lifted off of me and it floated away. Hearing it from a Major was enough for me to no longer have that sense of dread and uneasiness within my chest and my lungs. It was lighter now, an urge to hide away and hate my decision was somehow not completely gone but enough for me to not dread about it.

And all of that from a Major.

"Thank you, sir," I finally thanked him, seeing him give me another warm smile that must have been part of his genes. He finally sat down in his chair, folded his hands in front of himself and he pointed to the chair I was standing next to me.

"Why don't you grab a seat and we can get started on your report," He advised me, the feeling of my legs coming back to me finally and I got myself int he chair swiftly.

This meeting felt a bit better, even if it was going to be the last time I'm going to sitting in front of Major Winters.


	33. Chapter 33

The large truck that was about to take us out of the town was waiting for us int he heart of the town. I walked out with the rest of Black Mamba right behind me and our bags in hand, already dreading to leave the rest of the group there as they were about to head out to The Pacific sometime soon. It was even worse when O'Neal and Harper tried to convince me that Easy company needed them to play their baseball. I wanted to let them play, but orders were orders.

It was fun to be the fun-killer. It really was.

Once we saw the truck parked on the cobbled street by one of the hotels, we didn't expect to see the mass group of Easy Company waiting for us. They were waiting along the side of the truck, both sides of the truck really and they were watching us with their own genuine eyes. It almost felt heartbreaking to leave them all there waiting for us, sending us off to head home.

Some of the girls broke off to say goodbye to the members of Easy they knew and called friends, and of course, the first one that I saw was Liebgott and Luz, both of whom were looking somber about us leaving. It was odd to see George Luz looking more somber than happier and chipper as he was usually, so it made it harder for me to see him and how he looked at me.

"Heya, Captain," Liebgott said first, saluting me and having me return the gesture. I was waiting for him to shake hands with me since it was respectful, so being the better person I held out my hand for him to shake. He was one firecracker of a soldier, a soldier friend to lean on, and he had a good soul buried deep within there. He eyed me as I cleared my throat.

"It was an honor serving with you, Liebgott," I said to him using my professionalism in front of the other men that were watching. I could see a few of them were taken back from how I was handling the goodbye with him, even Luz looked with a small hint of shock. Liebgott eyed my hand, then looked back at me with one of his signature looks that had me confused since ti felt like I offended him. What he did next I didn't see coming.

He bear hugged me.

"Since when do we shake hands, Captain?" He asked as he hugged me, knocking the wind out of me as we hugged there. The others around us chuckled and snorted in laughter from the gesture, even the girls grinned ear tear as Joe pulled away from me finally. He had a huge smile on his face, a rear thing for me to see with him when he was scowling about something.

"Never I guess," I replied, "It was still good to serve with you,"

"Same here," Joe agreed, then reaching into one of his big pockets of his combat jacket. He pulled out what seemed to be a small notebook or journal, brown leather and worn a little bit around the edges. What I saw that shocked me, however, was that there was already pages that were worn and used inside, almost all of them really. Joe held it in front of himself and in front of me, placing it in the middle.

"This is from the guys in Easy," he explained, making it short as I carefully took the journal from him, feeling the solid weight that it had from what I thought it would be. It was a bit heavy, having me become more curious. I looked a Joe with a raised eyebrow.

"Open it," He urged with his smirk on his face. I looked back down and undid the string that held it together, seeing it open on its own with ease. O'Neal was next to me, peeking over my shoulder now as I was seeing what was inside. The different handwritings, some there in cramped papers and others were on the page of the journal. I was seeing different styles of writing and different sizes too, but that wasn't what was making me cry.

It was who wrote in them.

"What is it?" O'Neal finally asked as she was seeing my reaction on my face. I swallowed a deep breath before I looked at her, seeing her scan my eyes and notice that I was about to be in tears.

"It's their addresses and numbers….all of Easy Company," I finally looked back at Joe and the sea of men behind him, watching me and seeing my reaction to how I was reading all of their addresses. They were all wanted me to stay in touch with them, and it wasn't just a few addresses here and there. No, it was most of Easy that I knew and that I was meant to protect. There was never a moment in my life that I thought I would get something like this from a group of men, from all walks of life. But they all saw me as one of their own, without a second thought to it. There was no delay in their decision to do this for me, at least that's what I thought when I saw them all giving me one last smile and grin.

I looked at all of them: Bull, Perconte, Shifty, Babe, Garcia, Alley, Buck, Johnny Martin, every single one of them and I knew I grew to care for them, even the ones I didn't walk to as much. They still thought of me as another member in Days Company, but an added extra since I was their protector. This all started with me knowing that they had more importance in the war. not Black Mamba. We were a guinea pig operation of sorts that plenty of people doubted. Almost everyone in our path didn't think a group of women could survive in the war, even with one casualty. One group believed in us: Easy Company.

"It was Joe's idea," Luz explained as he saw me looking dumbfounded at all of them, "Since we got the word you wouldn't be able to join us for baseball, he thought we would give you this before you all would go."

"He made one good decision, finally," Bull snorted with his cigar in his mouth. I had to smile then, a tear or two was slipping out of my eye and hitting the leather top of the journal in my hand now since it felt all too much. I felt like I didn't deserve this, not from any of them really.

"Just so you know…..Captain," Joe spoke up, having me look at him now and seeing the small smile on his face and how his brown eyes reflected in the sun, "A lot of us would be dead if it wasn't for you."

"That can't be true," I countered, but Lipton finally walked over himself from being in the mass group of men who were watching me. He analyzed me with his kind eyes like a father would scan his child, he always had that look with his men. He gave me a softer smile, standing next to me and placing his hand on my shoulder. It felt like he was about to give me some kind of blessing.

"You and I both know that it is," He commented to me with his gentle tone that was soothing like a river, "You saved a lot of our lives ever since we dropped in Normandy. You might think we overlooked it, but we didn't." After he said that to me, I saw Shifty raise his hand to have me look over at him.

"You saved me in Carentan." He explained, another hand shooting up that belonged to Shifty.

"And me," He added too, almost too quickly. Johnny Martin raised his hand after Sisk and Shifty, then a few more were doing the same after him. Martin smiled as he did that, having me remember him going in the river and me saving his life. At least a dozen men were holding up their hands to show I saved them. I looked at each of the carefully, seeing each of their faces and their eyes. If I was one second too late or hit the bullet an inch to the left, some of them if not all of them would not be here looking at me. Reality sunk in.

I did save them all.

"I think you left more of a mark on Easy than you give yourself credit for," Lipton explained as the hands were still in the air, "Because of that, we see you as one of us, and we are grateful."

O'Neal clapped me on the back gently as the hands were lowering and my smile was more genuine than forced. I smiled at each of them, not having enough energy to say thank you to them or else I would be in tears.

"I was honored to serve with each of you, I really was," I finally said it to them, seeing him grin and shift in their spots, "Thanks for letting me do that." A couple of them shook my hands then that was close enough, the rest in the back of the group just nodded their heads as I saw Winters walking over now with a clearing of his throat.

"The truck needs to leave," he advised me, in which I turned and signaled the girl to pile on. They did their last waves with the group now as they were going on one by one. Winters and I shook hands one last time and I smiled at him.

"Thank you for all your leadership, sir," I said to him as I gave him one last salute. He smiled widely and returned the gesture.

"Thank you for all of your hardship to Easy. I'm eternally grateful for you and what you did," he commented, then moving out of the way for Nixon who shook my hand.

"You were a great Captain," He said in his light manner.

"And you weren't so bad yourself," I countered back, hearing him chuckle.

"Depends on who you ask, but thanks," He thanked with his own smile, "Have a safe trip home, yeah?"

"Yeah," I comment, then getting my things in hand. As I walked over to the truck, I could hear a running pair of feet behind me, coming closer and closer as I was about to grab onto the handle. O'Neal took my bag and pointed behind me.

"Look," she whispered, and as soon as I turned on my heel I was engulfed with a hug from Eugene. I almost lost my stepping from the sheer force of the hug and how he ran into my arms. I hugged him back, seeing how he was out of breath and already trying to give me one last hug before I left him. No one said a word, and I didn't think anyone would as he spied French in my ear.

"I love you, I love you," he said it at least five times in a hushed tone now as I held him back, seeing the men behind us staring both in confusion and shock but also in wonder and with grins.

"I love you too," I whispered back to him, hearing the truck roar into life as I finally had to tear myself from him and hop on. The truck lurched forward and we were slowly moving away, my eyes locked on Eugene as he was watching me with his big eyes and his hands made into balls of fists at his sides. He looked like he was in pain from seeing me go, I clutched the side of the door of the truck to not have myself run back to him.

The last thing I saw from Easy, was all of them saluting us as we turned the corner of out of their lives. And just like that, they were gone.

* * *

The heat was the first thing that brought me back to home, standing in front of my sister's house. The light green house with white windows and a rose garden right along the pebbled pathway leading to the wrap around porch. The sun was slowly going down behind me along the willow trees and the main boulevard a few blocks away. I was still wearing my own dress greens, getting off the train a bit sooner than I hoped and Sister telling me to come straight over after I got my things together. I was glad that she was willing to have me stay with her and not at my mother's house. She came around with the whole situation, finally, and she also knew about my mother and that whole ordeal.

I knocked three times, wanting it to sound proper as I waited for a few more moment before I could hear footsteps on the other side of the door coming my way. All I had was my big army bag with my belongings and my sniper rifle, which they let me keep. It was a part of my body anyhow, it would have been bittersweet if I had to let my rifle go. The sweet smell of dinner and roses were making together perfectly, having me wonder if the food was coming from my sister and it would be surprising. Finally, someone turned the knob and opened the front door, having me seeing a familiar face.

My beautiful sister.

Of course, she aged since when we were in the same room, but she aged beautifully. Her hair grew out longer and it was styled with waves. She was even wearing a less extravagant dress and more of a summer dress, which didn't seem like her as she smiled widely at me. I missed her smile, it was already making me feel like home as she wrapped her arms around me. I Felt how warm she was, maybe from cooking or being out in the sun. Whatever is was, it was soothing to feel and it almost made me cry from just being bale to hold my sister again. When She pulled away, finally, I could see Evangeline scanning me up and down to make sure I was her sister after all.

"You haven't changed a bit," She voiced to me, having me grin at her.

"Thank God for that."

* * *

"What was it like?" Evangeline asked me, the both of us sitting at the kitchen table and drinking a small coffee. I was clutching my hands around my mug and trying to think of what I was going to tell her. We had a good dinner with her and my brother-in-law Ben, small talk about my ship travel back to America and how my train ride was coming back to Louisiana. Something inside of me was not wanting to have this talk with her, but I knew it would have to come out sometime in the end and it was better to have the talk with her than anyone else.

"It was something else," I started, seeing her keep her eyes on me the whole time in case she was going to miss something, "There were nights when I thought I was going to die. Hell, all the men thought that at one time….but it was different with me and the girls."

"I never thought I would think women would be able to to do what you did in the army," Evangeline voiced to me in her calm tone, reaching over with her delicate hand to touch the top of my own. I saw the warmth in her eyes and how they almost sparkled in the room, our identical eyes, "I would brag about you to all my friends."

"You did not," I said in a joking manner as she got up from her chair.

"Of course I did, I was damn proud of you. Someone in the family had to brag about you being one of the best snipers in the infantry," She explained as she walked to the sink. She scrubbed her mug for a moment or two before she spoke up, "Mother never mentioned you once,"

"Yeah, I got her letter about my being disowned," I added to the talk as she was still scrubbing away at the table, "Right before D-Day too…perfecting timing I guess."

"It was disgraceful," I shot a look at Evangeline as she said it like it was venom on her tongue. She paused in her cleaning, resting her hands on the kitchen marble sink and sighing, "No mother should ever do that to their child!"

"Evangeline, it's okay," I reassured her calmly, "I knew she would be upset about this whole thing…"

"What she did was no excuse because she was merely upset," Evangeline argued as she walked over to stand next to me by the table. I could see she was shaken up about the whole thought of what our mother did, "Did you know I even went over to her house after father told me what she did?"

"He told you?" I asked in almost a shocked manner.

"Dad can't keep a secret from either one of us, not since we were children. Anywho, he called me after she did that. Made me so mad that I marched down to their house and gave her a piece of my mind. I think I almost made her drop dead from how bad I yelled,"

"You did that…for me?" I asked sheepishly, seeing her pause from her rant and finally sigh. We laced fingers there in the middle of the kitchen, having me see her peaceful face again. My sister, the one other person in my family whom I felt the most opposite.

"We're sisters," She simply replied, "Polar Opposites for certain, but I still love you to the moon and back, Olivia," I grinned at her, feeling that I gained an ally on my side. The bitterness of this whole thing of me coming home and trying to get my old life back together was taking a bit sweeter. Evangeline then tapped my hands there still on the table, her warm smile was radiating in the room.

"Now, I wanna hear about this Cajun boy that you fell in love with."

* * *

The first night back home was the hardest. I was given the spare room, my sister making it as comfortable for me as much as possible, but I was hardly sleeping since I was hearing more gunshots within my head. I didn't know if it was because I was so used to those sounds back in Europe and back in the army, or that they were too real for me to forget. Either way, they were clear in my mind and it felt like I was back there on the battlefields and even the frozen foxholes.

The first dream I had wasn't a dream, it was more than a nightmare. I was back in that small town and I was shooting down the German soldiers without blinking twice. It was like my own brain was turned off and my body was acting on its own. Blood was everywhere, the bullets were flying within seconds and all I was seeing were bodies….so many dead bodies…..

And I killed them all.

I shot up in my bed screaming, almost shattering my own ears and I could hear my sister running from her room over to my room. But my now mind was somehow melting away from the war, I was back in my room and the cool air was seeping through my open window.

Finally, my sister threw the door open, she was in her night robe over her pajamas. Her hair was still damn perfect even with the bed head she was harboring. But the look on her face was enough for me to see she was in a pure panic.

"Olivia? Are you okay?" She asked such a simple question for me to answer but in that moment I felt a few tears escape me. I could see all the men who didn't come back….Skip and Penkala…..Hoobler….Captain Josephine…they weren't coming back. I shook my head slowly and held my head in my hands.

"No…No, I'm not."

* * *

The next two weeks were nothing but me sitting and staring out into the abyss of the day, all because I was still being haunted.

I didn't think it would be this bad, then again I didn't think I was just going to jump back into the real world without any scars or memories along the way. Yet everything that reminded me of the war was infused with blood and pain, not to mention death. Nothing positive was coming back to me, not completely. I could remember a few conversations from time to time, flickers of laughter from Luz or Shifty's chuckle after telling me a joke. Those memories would come from time to time, but the rest of it was the nightmares.

My sister gave me plenty of space, Ben was reassuring her that I was just trying to adjust and pushing me would make it worse. It was the first time I had a real appreciation for my brother-in-law, a genuine likeness for him since he was looking out for me and making sure that I was okay. Maybe he knew what some it was like, being haunted and needed to have one's self.

But of course, within a few days, my mother started to call.

Someone must have known I was back home, or back in town at least. I knew something like that was going to happen, the town that we were a part of and the last name that carried behind me. Town Gossip was the next best thing to get involved in other than the good food and the moonshine that would be brewed in low-class backyards, and now I was in one of those gossip chains. I only went one once or twice to both help my sister with some shopping and to get myself out of the house.

My first mistake.

"She's not going to talk to you," I could hear from the sitting room. My sister was talking to my mother for the third time that week to get her to leave me alone. I wanted nothing to do with her or anything for that matter since my mind was still scrabbled around and not being able to get back in one piece. My mother was not going to help in that process. Plus, why would I want to talk to her since according to her will, I was dead?

Was she psychotic?

"Last I remembered you were the one who disowned her while she was serving her country, a very classy move on your part by the way…..no I will not lower my tone with you since I am a grown woman and I choose to talk to you!" She hissed on the phone as the screen door opened, having me look over from my spot on the porch. My brother-in-law was there, watching me with a small smile on his face and he was holding a large cup of coffee in his hand.

"Figured you needed a little somethin' this morning," He informed he as he walked over, giving it to me gently. I nodded my head at him, but we were cut off by another rant by my sister and his wife.

"You listen! You've done enough for that poor sister of mine and I'm not gonna have you make it worse. You know you're gonna make her feel sore about your feelings…..yes I did just say that!" She barked in a huff. I chuckled, having Ben looking at me in almost a bit of shock.

"Our mother hated it when we would use slang with her," I explained.

"I didn't know the word 'feelin' ' was a slang word," He commented, having me shrug my shoulders.

"She was proper, bit too proper," I answered, seeing him chuckle as we heard the last part of the conversation.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time to leave her be, and if I see you trollin' by the house, or if Ben sees ya, I'll make sure I'll gossip about you to the five corners of Lousiana from the farmers to the bayou! Good day, mother," She slammed the recovered down, having me hear her take out a deep breath. Both Ben and I looked through the window to see her rub her face to calm herself down.

"Golly, I haven't seen her this worked up since we were talkin' with her mother about the wedding," Ben explained in a shocked tone now as we looked at each other again. I looked down at my own mug and I took a small sip, Ben hesitating for a moment before he finally got the nerve to sit down next to me on the front porch bench.

"You know, I don't think your sister told ya this since we started dating, but My old man was in the war," I looked at him as he talked, his face face was still soft and gentle as he took in his own breath, "The war tore him up good. According to my mom, when he came him, took him forever to get over what he saw over there…hell…he still ain't over it. All he ever talked about was the blood he saw….that was on his hands and face…" I didn't say anything when he was talking about it, since this was a rare occasion hat we were talking together and without someone else in the room to help in our conversation.

"I think what helped was that he had my mother, they met after he came home and got a job at the plant. He just needed…someone who knew and was going to help him out and make him feel worthwhile," He added, thinking about ti to himself mostly and having me think of one person that I really missed. It was like a rocket hitting me hard, his face was now clear in my mind and his voice in the back of my mind.

"I know someone like that….someone I met in the war," I slowly opened up to him, taking another sip from the coffee as he was staring at me, "He's from Louisiana too…Baton Rouge. He was the combat medic with the Company I was serving, and he saved so many lives." I could already see him in my head, smiling at me with his helmet almost shielding his eyes and hiding the dark orbs that reminded me of the sea.

"Gah that woman!" Both Ben and I looked up and over, seeing my sister storm out onto the porch with her hands on her hips and a small scowl on her face. Once she locked eyes with me, I grinned at her. She gave a cautious look.

"Don't tell me I look like her!" She warned me in a huff, having me shake my head.

"I'll say nothin' then," I replied. It made Ben snicker as he held out his hand for my sister to take.

"Come sit, _Chere_ , " He wooed her as she took his hand. Ben pulled her down to hit on his lap, her arms around his neck and having me smile widely at them both for the firs time since I came from and off the ship.

"Your sister was just tellin' me about someone she met from Louisiana…from where I'm sittin'…She's in love," he explained to her as she looked from Ben over to me with her own smirk on her face.

"I think I know who it is, from what you wrote in your last letter to me," She said it almost like she was teasing me. I gave her a warning look as Benn playfully shook her in his lap.

"Tell me?" He asked in a coy manner.

"You wouldn't dare," I warned her now, seeing her shake her head and point at me.

"Then you do the honors of tellin' us then," She ordered, the both of them now giving me their full attention as I just fiddled a bit with the coffee mug in my hands. I didn't have to worry about hiding about what I felt in front of anyone, I was no longer under a watchful eye and being observed from afar. This time, I was free to saw what I felt and what was making me feel this way, more like who.

"His name is Eugene Roe….and I fell in love with him."


	34. Chapter 34

The war was officially over. All of it.

We found out from the newspaper that was there on the front porch. People were talking about it all over, ad yet I was silent about it. My own sister and brother-in-law were hugging in the kitchen when Ben read the headlines, with me watching the big black letters etched out in front of me.

I felt nothing. Why was I feeling nothing?

I should be happy that were was no more war, that we weren't going to be in any kind of harm anymore. And yet…I thought back to all of those men who died over there and couldn't come home. I thought back to Josephine, my Captain and someone whom I looked up to. She was robbed of the opportunity to come home, and here I was feeling pity for myself.

It made me sick.

I don't remember walking out of the house, across the deserted street and over to the park that was a half mile away. My sister was calling out to me since I was barefoot and not in my right state of mind, but all I could think of was the men who died. The ones whom I couldn't save, and the ones who were lost within their own minds. I was one of those, rethinking of those years away from home and in an unknown world.

I finally fell on my knees in the green grass of the park, no one else around as my sister was right behind me to see the fresh tear streaks coming down my face. It was like the watergates inside of me that was trying to hold everything back was now blown open. I was trained to keep the feelings inside, to not have them show and to put up a front. Now, it was all over and I failed to keep a front in front of my own sister.

My sister held me as I was sobbing into my hands for those who lost their souls, and yet the world kept on turning.

* * *

One week later, I wrote my first letter.

Ben suggested it, maybe thinking it was better for me to write a letter in order to distract me. I knew that I didn't want to see a doctor, it wasn't going to be something new that I was going to hear. Plus I was feeling meow bitter about my situation and how I was slowly suffering, and I felt alone about it. I didn't know anyone else that could help me with what I was going through, but it already made me remember what was in my bag when I came home. Going over to my bag and unzipping the top, the first thing that I saw was my journal.

The journal Easy got me.

It was in that moment when I knew I had to change things, to get my own mind back on track. I knew I was suffering from the moment I had my first nightmare back in my sister's spare room. Just seeing the journal alone on top of my old jacket and my sigma there, I almost had to stop and take a breath. It made me remember that day when I left Europe, watching Easy Company as I rolled away in the back of the truck and feeling my heart both burst and break at the same time.

I could see all of their faces as they were waving goodbye to me. Every single one of them.

How they would see me now, shrinking away in my own shadow and my own stained hands from all that I did and whom I killed. Would they think of me as a Captain and leader anymore, with the weakness that was seeping through? They looked up to me…at yet….I felt like I was letting them down by not going on with my life. Slowly and without a second thought or hesitant worry, I reached into the bag and pulled out my old combat jacket, placing it on the bed and then my journal in my hand. It made me clutch it like a lifeline, looking back at the jacket against my crips white bed.

I could see the wear and tear of the fabric, some pieces looked out of place from wearing it for months on end. Edges of my sleeves and the bottomed were tinted from sweat and grass stains, along with some soot and rubble marks. Blood against my collar where I was shot in the river in France, and even the new stitching of when I moved up through the ranks. At first, I saw it as a burden, but now it was just a memory of what I went through and how I survived.

I knew that they were making their own way home, back to their own lives and trying to piece things together. I could see all of them going back through their front doors and back to their families. It was giving me a small sense of hope, a flicker of warmth to know that they were going to be safe and away from harm. All of them: Bull, Perconte, Babe…..Eugene.

Oh, my Eugene.

Finally, I sat down on the bed and held the journal with two hands, breathing out slowly to get my own mind easy for seeing those names again in the pages. Once I opened to the first page, I saw the first name at the top of the list. It was then that I made a promise to write to all of them in order, even if I didn't send them out in the mail. The least I could do was write to get my own head back in shape.

The first name was Donald Malarky.

* * *

"Let's try to get you back on your feet. Not that you weren't before, but I think it's about time we were gettin' out of the house," My sister and I were walking together along the sidewalk after one late morning on Sunday, finding our way in the local shopping district of New Orleans. I knew I needed to get out of the house sooner or later, so it seemed like a good time to help my sister with some of the shopping that had to be done. I was getting better at the stares coming my way as we walked down the street, the murmurs under the breath and the shocking eyes as they saw me in broad daylight.

I was getting better. That, and I stopped giving a shit.

"Now what do you have in mind, and should I be afraid?" I asked her almost in a coy manner as we crossed the street. Another bar that we passed was playing jazz and the music was flowing out to hit the summer air high above us.

"I don't wanna spoil that surprise," She said to me, having me now look over at her with some hesitance there and I could see a small smirk on her lips. Ah, she was hiding something.

"What?" I asked her now, hearing nothing from her in return as I pressed on, "What are you thinkin' of doing with me?"

"Have faith in your own sister," She instructed me with her smooth tone, having me roll my eyes.

"Since when has that ever worked out in my favor?" I countered, then seeing that she finally stopped us in front of a store, or what looked like a store. I looked at the window, instantly having my eyes widen since I knew this place. The white walls inside, the big bright window we were standing in front of, along with the faint sound of a piano playing a scale up and down.

My old ballet studio.

"Whenever I would walk by this place on my way to church I would think of you," Evangeline explained to me as she wrapped her arm around me, the both of us were watching a ballet class with little girls as they were doing their exercises, "I would go to church, pray for you, and come back to this little place. I would remember you would love to dance, the best part of your week as comin' here."

"I loved this place," I echoed with a small smile, already thinking back to when I was smaller and running to class practically, "It was the only place I was real…...and really happy."

"I know," Evangeline commented to me, "That's why I think you should go back to being in here,"

"Me?" I asked, sounding surprised by it since it seemed like a crazy idea for me to do. I didn't think it would be a good idea for me, not in that moment/

"Olivia, I think it's time for you to find something good to do. You used to love doing this all the time, it brought you joy," She reminded me, having me slowly look back at the window and see the girls do their routine. I placed my fingers against the wood window frame, almost trying to balance myself really.

"I was a different person," I countered back very softly, but my own sister shook her head from how I sounded defeated.

"You're the same person, Olivia. You just need to find yourself again is all…" She explained carefully, "Find the one part of you that was happy…and home." I drank in what she was telling me, a small glimmer of warmth was coming back over me and having me remember when things were simple and not complicated just yet.

She was right, I just had to find myself again.

* * *

I remembered that morning very clearly, with the soothing sun coming over the horizon and a swift knock on the door as I was folding up the laundry. Both Evangeline and Ben were out for the morning to get some errands down, leaving me alone in the house. It confused me to hear a knock on the door, thought I wasn't going to else them there as I walked over to the front door, the crisp cool morning air coming through the open windows that I knew I needed to clear my mind.

I opened the front door, seeing an older couple in front of me who looked a bit shocked to see me as I smiled kindly at them. The woman was beautiful with dark hair, almost like midnight that was in a low bun behind her head and was wearing Sunday clothes. The man had his hat in his hands, piercing eyes that looked curious as I saw them, reminded me of a storm as the woman spoke up.

"Good morning, ma'am," She said to me, her southern drawl of an accent was both cooling and yet soothing at the same time.

"How can I help you?" I asked kindly as I held my hands in front of me, she grinned at me now as she looked at me up and down, as if she was analyzing me.

"My husband and I are lookin' for a young lady who lives here…" She said to me, almost failing to give out any more words on her lips as if she was embarrassed. Her husband finally stepped in, walking up a bit to stand next to her.

"Is there an Olivia Bellerose that lives here?" He asked, his own accent was deep and held history behind it. I titled my head slightly at the both of them.

"I'm Olivia," I said to them, and once I said that to them, they both looked beyond relieved to see me. Did I know them? The women even looked like she was about to be in tears now as she smiled widely, having me instantly look my breath. I knew that smile, I've seen it before…but on a different.

"I know this is goin' to sound beyond strange, ma'am…but you knew our son in the war," She explained to me, stammering a bit with that same smile that I've been dreaming about for weeks on end. The same smile that I fell in love with and would protect from any kind of harm. I felt my breath being lost within my own mouth now.

"Eugene. Your son's Eugene," I said with a gasp, the woman almost sniffling and her husband finally holding out his hand for me to shake.

"I'm Ed Roe, this is my wife Maude Roe," he said to me, having me finally get my sense back and shake the both of their hands. She had Eugene's smile and hair, and Ed has his son's eyes. It all made sense. I was seeing a glimpse of him in both his mother and his father. It was like I was looking at him, but then I wasn't.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," I finally said to them both, Maude then reaching into her pocket and taking out what looked like a letter. She handed it to me, having me look down and see a faint handwriting…Eugene's writing.

"Gene wrote to us about ya, quite a few times actually," She explained as I was looking at his handwriting on the worn paper. I saw the date on the top corner, it was around the time we were in Berchtesgaden, right before I left him behind.

"He asked us to find you before he came home, to meet you properly," Ed added to the conversation,"We didn't know when you going to come back, so we waited for a few days after we got the letter. Thankfully we found your place,"

"I'm glad you did," I said to him, to the both of them now as I gave them a sweet smile, "There's so much that I want to tell you."

I told them everything.

* * *

Another few days come and went, but it was easier for me to get through those days since I met Eugene's parents. They even invited me over to dinner at least once to make sure that I was doing okay. The day I brought them in for some tea for me to get to know them some more. I knew they came from the other side of town, and it would be proper for me to just let them in for a few minutes.

We ended up talking for about two hours.

I felt as though I was connected with Eugene through them, seeing his mannerism in the both of them as they would talk about their son. The way we talk together seemed so smilier to how I would talk to Eugene back in Europe, not needing to speed through questions and answers but drawing them out to almost savor the moment that we were having. I showed them the scar on my neck where Eugene saved me from the shot in the river. After telling them that story, they were

Maude gave me their telephone number, just in case I needed it. I knew they were just trying to look out for me because their son was in for with me, but then again I was beyond touched when they did that and they already considered me as a member of their family.

"If you do need anything, please call us. I know it would mean plenty to Eugene if we could help ya," Maude reassured me, her smile that again reminded me of Eugene was enough for me to already love her and consider her another mother figure in my life. I watched from the front porch when they pulled out from their pick up truck and back onto the main road, having me already feel the heartache that was Eugene not being with me,

He would be proud. Very proud.

* * *

Eugene came back on a Sunday afternoon. I remember because it was one of the first of the many summer storms we were going to have that season.

These storms left the air warm and sticky, with plenty of water coming down that could start another river by the house. Ben was off at work with Evangeline and I back at the house, trying to keep the house mostly together with the sort that was getting closer and closer to our area of New Orleans. I was going back to classes in at my old studio, mostly adult classes in the evening that weren't being occupied by children during the day. Going in as someone who was rusty, it was nice to be among others who just wanted to learn and have a getaway for at least an hour

I already got at least two letters: One from O'Neal and one from Bull. They both were doing okay, keeping me up to date about the others whom they were talking to. Bull told me about Luz and the girl he was dating in Rhode Island, O'Neal filled me in on Straton and the nightmares she was getting. It was better for me to know that some of them were trying to live, just like me.

"I hate theses storms, they're the worst," Evangeline said under her breath as she passed me in the living room. I looked up from Bull's letter and I watched her wind the clock back up on the mantle piece.

"You should move to somewhere drier then," I commented.

"Maybe we should. I've had enough of this town as it is." She explained as she moved from the clock over to sit with me on the couch. I grinned at her, seeing her move her hair out of her eyes to see a bit better now. Even with a line of sweat on her face, she was still beautiful and almost looked like a movie star with her light makeup and summer dress.

"Thank you," I simply said to her, seeing her turn her head over to me and raise her eyebrow at me in confusion from what I told her, "For….being here for me since I came home. I was afraid to come home…I didn't think I would have a place to go really." Her smile slowly grew and I could see the genuine happiness there on her face as I explained that to her. I wondered from time to time if I was becoming a burden to her, staying in her house with no job and a fragile mind. But from how she was keeping my head straight, helping me get back into ballet, and just sitting there on the couch next to me.

"I wouldn't want you anywhere else but with me," She reminded me, tapping my knee next to her as thunder crackled far off but enough for the both of us to hear, "Would you rather be with our Uncle."

"Nope, not anytime soon. I need to call him by the way," I said in a groan as I rubbed my eyes. The front doorbell rang, Evangeline then got up in a huff to walk behind the couch and over to the front hallway and front door

"He needs to come over that's what he needs to do," Evangeline said over her shoulder to me now as she was opening the front door. I looked back at the letter from Bull again, another crackle of thunder coming a bit closer now as I was re-reading his letter and what he was up to.

"Evangeline, one of my old army friends is going to be in the earth-moving business. Never heard of that before, have you?" I asked over my shoulder, then realizing that there was nothing heard from the front door. It made me wonder, keeping my head still in the direction of the letter as I still heard nothing. something was up.

"Evangeline?" I called out, finally getting the letter placed on the coffee. I didn't hear someone walk in or any other chit chat for a moment or two before my sister, after a long pregnant pause, finally spoke up.

"Olivia, come over here," Her voice sounded a bit scared almost, that or she was trying to control her own voice. I looked over my shoulder at the hallway now, completely confused as to what was going on and why she sounded a bit concerned. I got up from the couch and walked around the side to the hallway, The closer I get, the more curious as to what was going on, and once I reached the hallway, I witness my sister there at the front door, but she had it closed so that she was blocking something from my view, that or someone.

"What's goin' on?" I asked her now, almost getting a bit annoyed now since she was watching me carefully. It reminded me of my Uncle and his horses, being beyond spooked and afraid to scare the horses. She finally took her own shaky breath and moved the door out of the way.

There was Eugene, in my doorway and drenched from the rain.

My heart literally stopped right in my chest, almost having me fall to the ground from the fact that I couldn't feel my legs and my own hands were clammy against my sides. It very much felt like a dream, a horrible dream that was going to tease me once again in my own head. But this was real, I knew it was because I could feel the chill of the rain coming through the open door and then I could smell the storm about to roll through. He was right there, looking right at me for some kind of reaction.

His shirt was drenched and against his skin and undershirt, his slacks were soaked to the bone and his shoes were shined from the rain. Even his black hair had rain drops, though it still stayed up in the fashion he had. His skin was still pale, his eyes were still dark blue, and I breathed out finally.

"Eugene," I breathed out, seeing a small smile there on his lips as I said his name. Evangeline ducked her head and moved out from the hallway to give the both of us some space. She moved out of the room, which made me glad since I didn't want to start acting like an idiot in front of her.

I took a step towards him, hearing the rain tousled getting a bit louder now as we were just staring at each other and breathing each other in. I didn't know what else I could say in that moment, nor could I think I could move my legs since everything else was shutting down just because he was there. There wasn't a wound seen on him, no amputated arm or leg. He was whole, he was alive, and he was here.

"Hi," He said to me, finally hear his voice now. He sounded the same with the deep soothing tone and the drawl that haunted and enchanted me. I smiled widely, almost wanting to cry since I was waiting to see him again since I got on that goddamn truck in Europe. I found it so silly and yet perfect when he only said that one word, My legs were working again since they were moving to him so fast that I couldn't think straight.

"All you can say is hi to me?" I asked in a gasp now as we embraced in the doorway. he wrapped his arms around me and held me so tight that it made my breath escape fast. I embraced the water from his clothes getting on my own clothes and skin, but that was the last thing on my mind.

"I didn't think of anything else to say at the moment," Eugene said into my hair as he held me close. I could feel a small shiver go down my spine, "I'm gettin' yea all wet."

"That doesn't matter," I mumbled in his arms, pressing my head against his own.

"But I'll get ya sick," He argued with me, making me smile so widely in how he was still so concerned with me and with my well-being. It was like we were back on the lines of war.

"All I care about is that you're here with me, finally," I whispered to me, one more thunder crackling nearly two miles away and bringing a boom to the house. I wasn't scared of the thunder, more was I concerned about how I was halfway wet from my drenched boyfriend. But I didn't need to worry about that anymore.

"I've missed you," I said into his black hair as we were still plastered to each other.

"Me too, _Chere_."

* * *

The thunder woke me up, having me slowly wake up and seeing Eugene right across from me, still asleep and breathing nice and even. The sky outside was now gray, the storm already in town in the late afternoon and the rain was pounding against the house. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I slept through a whole session of rest and I didn't have one nightmare. Nothing made me wake up in fear. I was content waking up, having e blanket over both Eugene and myself. My sister must have done it while we were resting.

After I got Eugene inside the house, we changed and washed his clothes to get him nice and dry. He wore a spare shirt and sure slacks from Ben's closet, and after giving him some hot coffee, we both ended up in my room and falling asleep after talking and catching up.

Eugene stayed behind while the others in Easy got to go home after they got word of the Japanese surrender. They needed a few more soldiers to help with the paperwork and being in battalion headquarters, Eugene volunteered to stay a week or two longer.

The rain was still constant and loud, but it was also a soothing rhythm against the house and the ground around the house. Just seeing him in front of me, fast asleep like he was back in Berchtesgaden, was already a reality.

Our fingers were intertwined between the both of us underneath the blanket. His hand felt soothing and warm like always, the callouses on both of our hands were felt and another familiar feeling that made me miss him even more. I didn't want it to seem like I was a creep watching him sleep, but I would remember the plenty of mornings that I would, and that we were just having a time of peace and quiet that was not interrupted by someone crying "Medic!".

This was perfect.

I rolled to be on my back, staring right up at the ceiling and seeing the movement of the rain falls from the windows reflecting off the top of the room. I wanted to feel full again, have that sense of completion because of Eugene being there and reminded me over and over that he wasn't planning on leaving me anytime soon. But something was still off about what I was getting together, something still left out of place and not right. Something inside of me was telling me….almost whispering in the back of my head…to talk to my mother.

Well shit.

"You keep thinkin' that loud you'll wake your neighbors," I grinned when he grumbled it out from his sleepy form. Slowly I looked back at him, seeing him watch me and keep his head against the pillow, the sleepiness still etched on his face.

"Good thing you can't read my mind yet then," I commented, seeing him grin into the pillow as I moved my thumb against his hand that was still holding mine, "If ya did, I would look depressed."

"Never saw you as depressed," He argued with me as he shifted a bit to wake himself up, "Only saw you as interestin'…..someone with plenty of things in her closet."

"You my doctor now?" I asked almost in a coy manner, seeing him analyze me from how I jumped on him from wanting to talk about my feelings. I felt sore then, knowing that he was only trying to help and just talk to me. Knowing Eugene, he was not one to push my boundaries on what I wanted to talk about what I wanted to keep silent. He wasn't pushy with that, and I loved him dearly for that.

"I'm sorry it took me awhile to come home," he apologized, his voice still soft and deep as he shift a bit closer to me now and kept our hands together, "I wanted to come home when I could….they just needed more help back in England and they thought I was really good with helpin' them out."

"Which is understandable," I agreed with him.

"Lieutenant Lipton was there too, over at Battalion. He and I came home together two weeks later after we helped," Eugene informed me,"I think he was lookin' forward to going back home with his wife."

"And you had to go back to your family too," I added.

"Naw, I had to come back to you," he shot back immediately, my cheeks feeling warm as he said it like some kind of proclamation, "I knew my ma and pop would be there when I got home…but I was more worried about you and how you were doin'."

"There was nothing to worry about, sweetheart," I reminded him, but I knew he wasn't buying it just yet. It made me sigh and I rubbed my face with my spare hand that was not occupied by Eugene's hand, "I haven't seen my mother yet if that's what you're wondering."

"Maybe a little…" He commented, almost sounding too innocent about it.

"And Elliot….I haven't seen tried talking to him," I went on, thinking about Elliot, "I doubt he would want to talk to me anyhow since he's off living his life and all. I'm just glad I wasn't a part of it."

"Olive.." Eugene was about to have me stop talking about it, to think about something else. But I shook my head and looked at him.

"But nothin' Eugene. I chose to get out of there and I'm happy I did. I did a lot more than I thought I would….more than I think he would ever do himself," I explained, seeing a big grin on his face as I talked about it, "I bet you I could scare him senseless with just my rifle alone."

"I think you could," he agreed, "Not wanting to come anywhere near you," I could feel my own heart feeling a little fuller, that small dull ache that was still having me hurt from anything and everything was getting a bit better now.

"I was mostly glad I went…because I found you," I confessed to him, having that thought hang nervily between the both of us and I just felt better letting him know that. I knew that I ran into the ear with no real plans, having the pains of Elliot and my family still on my shoulder. All I wanted to know was just someone different, and yet I found Eugene along the way whom both changed me and kept me safe and simple. He gently pulled me over to where he was, having me rest my head on his chest and his chin over my head. I wrapped my arms around him and was refusing to let him go.

"I'm glad I found ya too. You were the best thing that came out of me signing up for the war," He mumbled to me as we were embracing each other on my bed, having me grin against his chest, "And I'm glad we both got out of there alive."

"Speakin' of which," I replied softly and slowly, "If it's not too much trouble, would ya come with me t my mother's house to get my things. I need to do that sooner or never,"

"Course I would, you don't hav'ta ask that from me" he reassured me as he stroked my hair with his fingers, "Plus, I think my parents wanna see ya again."

"They're adorable, like you. I'm gonna warn you, I think your mother wants you to keep me," I complimented, having a moment or two of silence between the both of us as I pressed a kiss into his chest, "I love you."

"I love you too," He replied smoothly without thinking twice about. We sat there together on the bed, holding each other softly instead of clinging to life, already content on being home and back together once again. I knew the rest of the obstacles in front of us were going to be bumps, not hurdles.

Thanks to Eugene, I was getting my life back on track.


	35. Chapter 35

I slammed the door shut, already trying to catch my own breath as I heard Eugene close his door on the other side of the car. He walked over to my side as I looked at Ben and Evangeline sitting in the front of the car. Evangeline gave me a hopeful look as I eyed her to make sure I was making the best choice.

"You can do this," She reminded me, "She means well….in her own way." I almost glared at her now.

"Now you tell me," I grumbled a bit as Eugene now joined us by the car.

"You ready?" He asked me, having me give him a small smile before looking back at Evangeline again. Both Evangeline and Ben gave me a small smile of reassurance and of faith that I can go through this.

"We'll wait here for ya," Ben reminded me as I finally gave them both one last look before looking behind me at the one place that I was dreading.

My old home.

Eugene and I walked across the deserted major street to the fence that was between the sidewalk and the house that I grew up in, and the same house I knew my mother was in. Thankfully, we had some kind of plan to get my things out there, thanks to my father. My sister called him up the night before to let him know that we were coming to get some of my things, I didn't need it all but only a few things. He was fine with it, already getting himself ready for anything that could come our way.

After Eugene got the fence door open for me, he took my hand and we both walked along the path up to the porch. The house still looked pristine and perfect, as my mother would want it, and it almost seemed sickly precise from the windows to the paint on the walls. I was already feeling sick to my stomach as we were getting closer and closer to the front door, Eugene was holding my hand tightly since he could feel my fear.

"It's gonna be okay," Eugene reassured me as we were walking up the front porch and over to the door with the stained glass. I nodded my head.

"I know," I added to him as I then was about to raise my hand to knock on the door when Eugene stopped me. We locked eyes now, having me see the seriousness on his face and how blue his eyes were in the sunlight.

"We can turn back you know," he reminded me, "We don't have to go through this." He was trying to protect me, make sure that I wasn't going to get hurt again. He's seen be hurt, both on and off the front line in the war. The last thing he would want for me is to experience past pains and past demons.

"I can do this," I reassured him with a small smile that was almost trying to fool him, "I took out at least 8 Germans and one battalion in Europe. If I can do that, I can do this,"

"This is your mother," He reminded me in a serious manner, and I could see in his eyes that he was not in the mood for bullshit with me. I sighed, already feeling dread from the thought and I looked ahead again.

"I know," I said in a sorrowful manner, finally knocking on the door. It took a few moments and I finally had one more breath in me before the door was thrown open. Both Eugene and I looked ahead to see none other than my mother.

Oh God, my mother.

She looked just the same as before when I left her so many years ago. Her hair was already perfect, her face looked poised with the perfect amount of makeup and her stunning dress that seemed too much and too elegant for a regular summer day. I was always afraid of seeing her again, just talking to her from all the things she made me go through as a child. But somehow, standing there in front of her, I felt different. Fear was no longer the issue, merely because fear took a bigger role in me when I was in the war. Now, it was mostly anger, anger, and shame that I was in her family and I called her my mother. Maybe it was the plenty of scars that I had on top or below my skin, or that I knew there were others that were in the war like me that were facing their demons back at home.

But the fear was gone.

"Olivia?" She asked, almost shocked to see me there in front of her. Was she thinking that I was going to fall off the face of the earth after she took me off her will? Or did she think I was still hiding from her with my sister? My father didn't say a word, thankfully, that I was going to come over and grab a few things. I had so many things I wanted to tell her, plenty of things that I was bottling inside for many years.

But now wasn't the time.

"I'm here to get a few things," I explained to her calmly, seeing her stare at me with confusion. I don't know if she saw that coming from me. Maybe she thought I would ask her to let me come back into the family. A small look of disappointment was there on her face as she gave a confused stare. Eugene squeezed my hand tight now as I spoke up once more, "I'll just be a minute since I know what I need."

"You're….not staying here…" She trailed off, clearly confused.

"No," I replied smoothly as she then looked over at Eugene, whom still was staying next to me and watching my mother. It was like he was analyzing my mother like a hawk.

"And who are you?" She asked, a bit too rude for my liking now as I finally huff dead related Eugene's hand move by her to get into the house.

"My boyfriend," I replied to her as I walked up the stairs and over to my old room. I just wanted this to be done and over with. Once I reached the top of the stairs, I finally walked down the hallway and opened the door into my old room. My brain was just in auto pilot as I looked around in my room for the things I knew I needed.

I didn't even think, grabbing my old ballet bag that I knew I stored in the closet and started grabbing a few things here and there. The rest meant nothing to me, past memories that were mostly there for my mother and her sake. I wanted my old shoes, a few comfortable dresses that I bought behind my mother's back, and even a few books that my father got me.

Speaking of which.

"She never meant to hurt you," I looked at the doorway to see my father, who was looking more depressed about this than my mother was looking downstairs. I saw the wrong look on his face, dark circles under the eyes and how his whole outfit looked off on him. I nodded my head at him, thinking that this was clearly not his fault that this whole situation was happening.

"In her own way, she was thinking that doing this would bring you back….not drive you out," He explained some more as I just watched, "I want you to know that I begged her to not do it…pleaded even."

"I know," I reassured him, clutching my bag in one hand and my other hand felt useless against my other side. He just gave me a small smile and he gestured to the stairs behind us.

"I met your boy," He said to me, a small smile was finally back on his lips,"He seems nice. His name's Eugene?"

"Yeah," I replied smoothly.

"I like him. I can see he treats you right," He commented, almost sounded proud of meeting Eugene himself. I smiled back.

"I think I'll keep him," I almost said it like a joke. Then I felt awkward, not wanting to stay in there anymore and I needed to get out of that house. I moved to get out of the room when my father stopped me with a hand on my arm. It wasn't firm but gentle, soothing almost really as felt him move something into my bag that was a big heavy. He slipped something inside.

"Don't think of me differently," He quivered to me, having me shake my head at him.

"It was never you, dad," I reminded him, seeing him nod his head slowly at me. All this time he thought I hated him too from what my mother did, maybe he thought I assumed he was in on it too. But my father was never someone with hate, even when he was having a bad day. My father was a leveled man, weighing the pros and cons in situations and not letting his emotions get the best of him. I wondered how he ended up with my mother, who was opposite of him

"I left something in her bag for you, only for you. Your mother doesn't know and I don't want her to know," he explained to me, almost in a rush since he felt like we had limited time before I was going to walk out again, "Just remember: I'm a phone call away if you need anything. Please call if you need me,"

"I will," I reassured him, sneaking a kiss on his head as he hugged me gently. He didn't want me to break from his hug, but I could feel it going through me fast. I hugged him back, releasing him before it could get worse and I walked away from him down to the staircase. I knew that we had more to talk about, me and my father, But now was not the time

I finally got to the top of the stairs, taking a few steps down before I saw my mother standing in front of me at the bottom of the staircase. She was watching me, something in her mind that she was going to tell me. Eugene was still at the door, not coming into the house at all and he was watching me as well. I felt like then I was about to walk into a trap.

"Olivia, let's talk about this," My mother started.

Oh yes, it was a trap.

"There's nothing to talk about," I started with her, seeing Eugene keep his eye trained on me in case something were to happen. He didn't like this either, he would rather me be out of the house in that moment than any second longer. If only he knew I was feeling the same way in that moment.

"Yes, there is," My mother reminded me softly, having her voice sound soothing and calm at the same time, "I was in a bad place when…"

"When you took me out of your will?" I asked calmly, seeing her go silent now as watch me with her doe eyes, "When you disowned me? You call that a bad place?"

"I was angry with you for all that you've done, dear," She reminded me, her voice was slowly no longer soothing and calm, bringing up the past demons that I knew would come up sooner or later. I shook my head.

"What I did was in rebellion of you," I countered back, "What you made me go through and feel….what happened with Elliot—"

"Please don't bring that back up," My mother tried to stomp it to the ground when I took one more step. I was getting a little angrier at that.

"Bring up what, mother? The fact that he hit me or the attempted rape, which one?" I asked in a sneer, seeing her hand at her side make a fist now since I felt like I snapped something inside of her.

"Enough!" She yelled at me, having me see the sweetness of her leave her face. All from Elliot, something that she buried with her own mind after it happened. Eugene shifted in hesitance now at the doorway, giving me a look if I needed help. I eyed him back, shaking my head once at him and showing him that I was not going to back from her. I walked down another step, closer to her now as I was not going to back down without a fight.

"You still deny what happened to your own daughter, not taking my word for what happened," I stated to her, seeing her still stare at me and her mind going back to work in how she was going, "You may have been great with being in denial, but I never was and I never will be. You did this to us, to me, and you think you can just ask me to come back in this house after what you did?" I asked in a scoffed tone. It was then I knew that made something inside of her break. She quivered a bit, drinking in what was going on and how she was going to lose this battle. I got down to the last step in front of me, seeing that she was still blocking the way out of the staircase but her confidence was faltering a little bit.

"I want you to know, from the very bottom of my heart, that I feel sorry for you," I said to her in a low manner, "And I never want to see you again. I don't plan on seeing you again, and if you plan on trying to come into my life…I will deny you," She was watching me with a small look of horror in her eyes as I was laying down how the rest of the life was going to be, "I pray that my own children will never meet you..and I know for a fact that I won't end up like you."

It was almost like a sting to her own ego. The look on her face when I was basically erasing her out of my life. Even Eugene looked down when I said it to her, but there was no way around it. I couldn't sugar coat what I was really thinking and wanting to express. All of those years in the army and simmering underneath the skin of what I was feeling with my mother, finally finding my voice and not being afraid or wanting to back down. I had other things to fear, but fear was not even close to being my mother.

I finally shoved my way past her, no longer needing to be close to her and have that sense of family with her. I moved over to Eugene, seeing him take my hand with ease and I took out the envelope in my jacket that I was saving for her. With one last look at her, I saw her watch me as I placed the envelope on the side table on my left. Elliot's name was on the top.

"Make sure you give this to him, will you? I know you still talk to his mother," I replied to her calmly, then turning on my heel to walk out of the house. Out of my childhood and memories, out of my prison and pain.

Eugene and I never looked back.

* * *

My father slipped me some money, some to say the least.

Apparently, my mother didn't know that my father took out my portion of their money when it came to the Will. He was sneaky enough around her and he slipped the money into my bag without me realizing what it was. I never gave my father enough credit to be that brave and rebellious against my own mother. Eugene and I looking into the envelope and saw the mass amount of money that was crisp and placed orderly, it came with a note on the side.

 _You deserve this money. Take it with Eugene and build a life, it's what I always wanted for you._

The money was much more than either one of house bargained for, and it came at a better time for the both of us since Eugene landed a job in a construction company. I was glad he was doing something other than being a medic or drilling oil. It helped for us trying to find somewhere to live, and so far we were just going on day by day.

We would have dinner at his parent's house at least once a week, and then at my sister's house another day of the week. I still lived with my sister, and Eugene still wanted to stay with his parents just to be able to connect with them again. And it seemed flies things were okay at first, I was blissfully unaware of the after effects that Eugene too would go through.

It first happened in the middle of the night.

We were staying at his parent's house and house watching for them since they were out of town for the weekend. I figured it would good for the both of us to be alone for a few days and get back to the groove of things with civilian life. The evening went well with cooking from fried fish and other fixings, and going to sleep next to each other in Eugene's bed went well, but it shifted in the middle of the night.

I remembered waking up, having my own dream myself that made me go back to one of the battles, but I knew something was wrong. I felt the other side of the bed was cold, and there was no body next to me who was fast asleep. I didn't see him, wondering if he was int he bathroom but nothing was heard in that direction. It was then that I got confused, the door out from the bedroom was wide open. Slowly I got up from the bed, grabbing a spare flannel that is Eugene's to pull over my shoulders. Maybe he went to another part of the house to get a drink, I was more curious.

"Eugene?" I asked carefully as I walked into the main living room. There wasn't a sound to be heard, and no lights were on. Something was really off, and I knew I was no longer dreaming. Where has he gone? Finally, I heard some rustling out near the front of the house, out past the front door into the small garden that the family had on the side. Something was happening out there, and I was going to want to find out what was happening as my feet were leading me over to the front window next to the front door.

I peered out, seeing the small light that was on by the front door. The light was shining into the garden on the right side with the dirt road that would lead back to the main road about a minute away. We were in the middle of nowhere, so the isolation alone was both soothing and yet off at the same time. But the one thing I didn't think I would see, that stood out and was facing away from me, was none other than Eugene.

And he was frozen there in the dirt.

Slowly, I walked out of the front door and over to stand a bit behind him, wondering what was going on and having a small feeling of panic coming under my skin. He wasn't moving, nor was he noticing me as I was walking over to stand there and give him space. He was wearing his own pajamas with a white shirt and boxers, his hair was sticking out all over from sleeping. But he was acting like a statue, both of his hands at his sides were rigged and almost stressed.

"Eugene?" I asked softly, thinking that he was seeing something from far away. I didn't know what to expect and what he could do as I took another step over to him. The air seemed tense with what I was seeing and feeling with him. Finally, I heard him say something that gave me chills and almost break my own heart.

"Someone's calling out for a medic," he said in a harsh whisper. At first, I had no idea what he was talking about and why he was saying that. It clearly was going over my head. I then released, taking a few moments to register what was really happening, I knew what it was. He was almost dreaming, maybe sleep walking, and he was thinking he was back at war and listening to the cries of those who needed a medic.

Eugene was Hallucinating.

"Can you hear me?" I asked him carefully, seeing that he was still looking away from me and out in the darkness.

"I could hear them, someone's hurt," he said, mostly to himself now as he was looking around a bit. In his mind, he was back in the war and back to his usual self as a medic. I slowly got over to stand right behind him but not touch him. I didn't know if I was going to hurt him or scare him, but I wanted him to snap out of this nightmare that he was in. I carefully reached down to take his hand, feeling how cold he was to the touch and how he almost flinched away from me from our hands lacing together.

"Listen to my voice: you're back home in Louisiana with me. You're not in Europe anymore, you're safe here with me," I said calmly and carefully to him, giving him a few moment to still be staring out into the unknown and in the darkness of doubt and fear. I had to pull him back since his own mind was trapped and not letting him free just yet.

"I'm right here, Eugene," I reassured him again since it felt like he was still back in the war. Slowly, be finally blinked and then looked over at our joined hands. It took him a few moments to have him realize that he woke up with whatever was going on. He took in a sharp breath and finally locked eyes with me, his eyes were wide now and almost on the brink of panic.

"Olive?" he asked in hesitance.

"You're alright," I said calmly, but something else was happening to him and it was hitting him hard in realization.

"I thought I was back in Bastogne….it felt like I was back there…." he trailed off, looking back at the area where he was staring and then almost looking defeated himself, "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," I promised him with a firm squeeze of his hand, having him look back at me now as I gave him a small smile, "There's not one thing wrong with you."

He nodded his head slowly, still trying to digest it all and felt almost trapped back there. It made me pulled him a bit closer and hug him in the darkness. I only thought it was going to me that was going to deal with the nightmares and hauntings of the past. But Eugene already has been more than one person should, people dying at his hands and he wasn't able to save them.

I wonder how long it would take for us to survive.


	36. Chapter 36

We finally found a home on the outskirts of Baton Rogue.

It was very small but a bit enough for the both of us to live in. Because of Eugene working in the construction company that he was in, he had some of his co-workers come down to the house to help fix it up from how it was before. It was cheap, which meant there were plenty of things to fix and upkeep, but I didn't mind it at all. It kept the both of us beyond busy and occupied with what we were already trying to get off.

Eugene knew what was going on with him since that night when he was sleep walking. He explained to me that he was seeing it all over, those endless days in Bastogne and how he thought he lost another soldier. He suffered, though it without me being able to really take it all away from him. Knowing Eugene, he would try to truck on without dwelling on in, plus I had my now nightmares to deal with.

It was safe to say, we both were trying to battle demons.

This house was the first step for the both go us, and thanks to the money my father left the both of us, we were getting things done way more than we thought we could. We even scrounged up a few pieces of furniture from other places that we found while we were out. It was slowly becoming more like home for the both of us, and I filled most of the place with fresh flowers and mismatched chairs. Something I knew my mother would hate and that I would love.

It was more peaceful to live in, to say the least.

We would keep to ourselves, getting letters from the others in both Easy and in Black Mamba and then writing back to them to let them know we were basically living off the land. I got a garden started in the backyard, both Eugene and I planted some herbs and vegetables, leaving a small area in the corner for some of my flowers that I wanted. Eugene got an old record player from his parents, which was perfect for the both of us since we were in need of some music in the house. as the pieces were coming together, more and more letters were coming to us now in talks of a reunion or wanting to come out in our directions.

It made me miss them all.

"We should send them out to come see the place," I mentioned to Eugene as I walked out to the backyard, seeing him on a ladder that he borrowed from work. He was putting on the last touch of paint at the top, already sweating from the humidity.

"Depends on you're sendin'," Eugene replied back as he was working away, "I might be hesitant on lettin' certain Easy members near the house."

"Would one of those people be George Luz?" I asked in a humorous tone, seeing a small smirk on his face since it felt like I called out his bluff.

"Maybe…" he trailed off, having me snort a bit.

"Well he is insisting on comin' out to see the house and he wants us to meet his girlfriend too," I explained as I held the letter in my hand, "He's more concerned about you trying to build a house on our own without assistance."

"That'll be the day when I get advice from him," Eugene commented as he finished the last coat and came down the ladder with the pail of paint in his hand. I grinned at his work: seeing how much detail he would put in every stroke of the brush and every nail he would hit with the hammer. Once he placed his feet back on solid ground, I walked over to take the pale from his hand since he was already sweating like crazy.

"You need a break," I encouraged, "All of this work is gonna make ya sick."

"We have plenty of things to fix, and it's keepin' me occupied," He tried to argue with me, but I reached over to massage his nape with my fingers.

"We have plenty of time for work, but I think you need a break from being the handy man around here," I reasoned, seeing him huff almost in defeated and I grinned. It made me sneak a kiss on his lips, feeling him smile against my own lips, "You're still my favorite handyman."

"I better be," He replied smoothly as he gave me a quick kiss.

"Come on then, let's get something to eat and we can go into town," I urged him, taking him by the hand and we both walked over to the small house. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as I had my own arm around his waist.

"Did you write back to George yet about him coming to visit?" He asked me as we were walking together in the warmth of the day.

"I did, and he's going to be here in about a week."

* * *

I remember the first night that we had there in the house.

Eugene was making a bit deal about, making a big dinner for the both of us and we decided to have it in our bed. Though we had no bed frame, our mattress was on the floor and we had candles lit all over the place. Sure we knew that we were maybe going to set the house on fire, but with big plates of food between the both of us and plenty of laughter and memories going on between the both of us, I didn't mind it at all.

After we cleaned the plates and food away, we had a bottle of wine and just enjoyed the fact that we were together in our own little bubble. I never thought I would see Eugene drinking down wine like water and he seemed looser and less in control. Sure it sounded like I was liquoring him up, but we both enjoyed not caring about the world and just having each other's company.

I placed the two glasses on the ground on the side of the mattress, but I felt a pair of lips on my shoulder and it was so still that it made me freeze there. The way it felt against my shirt was intimate, and I slowly got back to sitting up straight and I looked over at Eugene who was watching me carefully. There was nothing that showed he was drunk, but how his shoulders were relaxed and soothing and the stare he gave me was pure love was enough for me to breathe out unevenly. It felt like I was in a trance.

"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," He confessed to me in almost a gasp of a whisper. It made me fall for him, beyond fall or him, and I instantly leaned in to kiss him. It felt like ages since we had something like this, being alone and being safe. He kissed me back soothingly, not rushing this as I felt like we would do this. We both kept it slow, beyond slow, staying close together on the mattress with our few blankets.

His hands were around my waist, my own were in my his hair and eventually, things unfolded from there. Eugene was careful with taking things off of me, his careful medic fingers were working their magic as my shirt came off. The last thing to go was my brassiere, which made me giggle from where he brushed his fingers and it almost tickled me. He chuckled as well, the both of us tumbling onto the mattress and leaving everything else to the rest of the world.

It was the best night of my life.

* * *

Weeks came by and we got word that some of the men from Easy were wondering if they could come over to see how we were doing. Eugene thought it was a bit too soon since things weren't done in the house, and yet I was on the opposite end. As nice as it was for the two of us to be in the small house, I knew we needed some company.

The house was filled with laughter, plenty of beer being passed around from the refrigerator, and stories were being moved throughout the room. I was watching from the other room as Eugene was talking to Babe and George Luz, They were in the living room, swapping jokes with each other and catching up since they left Europe.

They all looked different without their uniforms, wearing loose shirts and slacks with no boots. They even look lighter, no need to fear away from the war or the thought of being killed. I only heard good things, who they were dating and where they were living. The best thing about it was seeing Eugene, laughing at a joke that Babe was saying or just grinning from how George was doing another impression. It made me realize that we were needing more of this in our lives, moving on getting things right.

I missed them so much as well, giving the both of them hugs when they came through the door. I missed George and his spirit, not to mention Babe and his quirks and quick wit. They both reminded me of the plenty of times we would talk in the middle of the night to make the time go by. After having dinner with them and seeing Babe and Eugene go out to the backyard where Eugene was showing him his work, I was left in the house with Luz.

"You know, I'm glad you and Eugene are getting better and staying here together," Luz explained to me as we both were sitting at the small table in the kitchen, drinking a beer between us. I grinned at him, wanting to shut it off really, but he went on, "I don't think any of us really saw it coming, maybe Liebgot did," he pondered for a second as I looked at him in shock.

"Anywho, I'm glad you guys are together. You guys are too darn cute," he explained with an impersonation of John Wayne.

"Thanks…I think," I replied smoothly as I took a long drink from my beer.

"And can I just say that I never pictured you two together," he commented, now having me looking at him with a bit of shock.

"You're kidding," I said sarcastically.

"No really. I don't anyone of us could have seen that coming," He commented as he took a drink from his beer, leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his chair, "In fact, I think both Bull and I were under the impression that you had your eyes for Liebgott."

"Thank goodness that didn't happen," I joked with him.

"I think some of us had money on it since you both were fighting like cats with each other but we didn't have the nerve to ask you, or him. I think he would have shot us in the head," Luz said in a smirk as I rolled my eyes.

"One of us would have for sure," I advised him, then thinking about it for a moment or two, "Either way, I don't think I could handle Liebgott," Even the thought of being with someone like Liebgott was enough for me to deny it. I looked back out at Eugene and Babe, the both of them were still talking close to each other and almost in harsh whispers, Luz staring at me from the corner of my eye.

"So what happened?" He asked, sounding casual. "What happened with you and Doc?"

"I don't know," I admitted with a shrug of my own shoulders, "It just happened out of the blue. But you know what? I'm glad it did."

"Me too, Captain. Glad to see he's making you happy," Luz said to me in a grin now, finally having me look at him and we clicked our beer bottles together. It was great to know that at least one other person in Easy Company was glad that I got to be with one of their own. Sure I wasn't really concerned about it, but then again the men there were always telling me over and over that, I was an Easy Company member.

"Cheers, Captain," He said to me as we both took a long drink.

"Cheers to you, Luz."

* * *

Once again, I woke up to an empty bed.

This time I woke up with another nightmare, one that I haven't had in awhile. I was back in that river, after saving Martin and was trying to get back to shore. The gunshot woke me up, the bullet about to hit my neck and take my breath away. It felt so real, I thought it was real. But seeing the ceiling above me was a reminder that we weren't there anymore, and that I was still alive.

Yet, Eugene wasn't next to me.

I had an idea where he was since he would go to the kitchen to get a glass of water and just sit, contemplating on what he was going through the night. It was his way of getting better, having moments of solitude and just reflection. But I also knew, from having the experience myself, that saying alone for a bit too long was not healthy. I didn't want Eugene to fall into that trap, he was too good for that to happen to him.

Walking out of the bedroom, the kitchen light was on softly and I could see the silhouette of Eugene at the table, a tall glass of water next to his hand that was on the table and he was staring off into the back window that was showing the backyard. He was sitting so still like a statue, deep in thought, I was walked over quietly with one of our blankets over my shoulders, having me feel like a child walking in the middle of the night with my blanket as a shield.

Once I was close enough, I reached over to touch the nape of his neck, instantly seeing him roll his shoulders and melt his head against my outstretched hand. I saw his eyes go closed as I was close enough to almost being pressed against him from behind.

" _Chere_ ," I said to him softly, almost in a purr now, "You need to come back to bed,"

"I just needed to get a drink," He reassured me, reaching over to take my hand from his head and lace our fingers once again together. He kissed the back of my hand lovingly now as I watched him with a small smile. It felt as thought, the way he was not coming to me from time to time, that he assumed he was alone in the suffering. His own kind of suffering really, but it pained me that I wasn't able to help him in the way that I wanted to.

"I dreamed I was back in that river," I explained to him as I was still speaking in a soft manner, "I was when I was helping Martin and gettin' back to the side…right where I was shot," When I mentioned that, I felt Eugene squeeze my hand. Maybe it was out of instinct, or maybe he thought the same thing too, but I could feel his reaction when I told him this. But I moved to send in front of him, seeing his tired eyes watch me and I smiled at him.

"What you had to do back there as a medic, was beyond brave. You should know that even though plenty of men didn't say it to you, that they are grateful for you for saving them," I placed both of my hands on either side of his neck, feeling his pulse pianist my fingers, "Don't think you're suffering alone in this, my love. If you think you are, don't. And please, please don't shut me out,"

His face crumpled when that soaked under his skin and within himself. I knew him as someone with composure and that was one of being emotional, not when it came to doing his line of work. But this was new for me. I didn't want him to do that, and it instantly made me regret saying that to him. I engulfed him in my arms, holding him close as he was silently weeping and wrapping his own arms around me. My blanket was shielding the both of us as I was just making sure that he was okay and that he was safe there with me.

I loved him more with any kind of words that would be expressed. To me, he was an anchor, someone who was going to hold me in one place not let me be blown away by the rest of the world. I loved how he spoke softly and yet with determination, how he eyes were always alert and waiting to absorb something new.

"You know I love you too much to see him go through this alone," I reminded him into his hair as he was trying to compose himself. I moved one hand to wipe away his tears, but keeping his other arm still around me and close enough as if he was afraid to let me go.

"I know," He said in a muffled against my embrace. I pulled away from him slightly as he got more of the tears off of his face, "It's just hard…it feels real…and I see all of them in my head."

"I see them too," I said in agreement, ruffling his hair gently and soothingly, "I hate that I see them….I see Captain Josephine and how I couldn't save her." Eugene eyes me when I said it, knowing that I was still debating myself up over her death. I didn't want to have the focus on me when I knew I was trying to help Eugene.

"It'll get better….I know that's hard to see now but it will. I know it will, I have faith it will," I said it like a vow, "We just have to take it day by day." I could see him give me a small smile then, which almost felt a bit better. I reached over to grab his ice cold water and I placed it in his hand. He took a long sip.

"Wanna go back to bed?" I asked him, not in a coy fashion but wanting it to be light and soothing. He nodded his head, almost heavy with sleep back on his face. After he placed the cup back on the table, we both got back on our feet and walked over to the bedroom again slowly. The quiet was once again something that we both had to get used to, and it was slowly becoming normal. The jeeps were substituted with fireflies, marching boots were now the small rolling of grass with the wind.

* * *

"This is far too delicious, ma'am," I said to Eugene's mother as we were eating dinner at Eugene's parent's house. It was a cool enough evening for the both of us to go over for a visit. They were both supportive of me not talking to my family, they even wanted me to come over at least once a week for dinner. It was great to have those kind of dinners again: light jokes and old memories. They were amazing to talk to and to chat with, his mother was soothing and kind. His father was infectious with laughter and with talking about his son with pride.

It made me feel warm and welcome there.

"We've talked about this plenty a time, you can call me ma if you want. Ma'am is too old," She reminded me, having me see her look at me in hesitance. She was on the fence about how my mother treated me, not seeing it as anything kind or remotely good. Eugene told me that one night she was venting to both him and his father about it, voicing that Eugene as never seen anything like that come out of his own mother his whole life. She was protective of me, not hesitating twice when it came to helping me or getting me something for the house.

"I would like that, ma," I said to her finally, seeing that big smile that Eugene inherited from was seen and it made me smile even more as I took another big bite of gumbo.

"How's the house coming along?" Verne asked the both of us as he was sitting across from us.

"Coming along great, pop," Eugene replied to him as he took a sip from his beer before he went one, "I think we're mostly done with all that we really needed to fix. The last thing is the roof, but I know a few guys that can get that taken care of this weekend."

"You work far too hard, Genie," Her mother cooed at him now in concern as I saw Eugene give me a small look, "Have you ever taken a day off?"

"I tried to get him to take one off, trust me," I explained, seeing him give me a tedious look as I grinned at him, "That ship has sailed with this me,"

"That's not fair," He argued with me, but I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. His parents laughed a bit from our antics and it made me giggle at him as he reached over to take our hands together between us. For me, it was much better to see him with a big smile on his face, fewer bags under his eyes and more color on his skin. He was getting better, those nights of him sleepwalking and getting up were beaching fewer and fewer. Slowly, we were getting once again back on our feet.

"We have some friends coming into town within the next week," Eugene explained to his parents, "Old friends from Easy Company. They're gonna stay at the house for the weekend."

"How many are coming'?" Verne questioned him, "Your house is a bit small."

"We've had two already: Babe and Luz. Knowing those guys, we can manage a few more bodies in there," I reassured him, seeing him nod his head, "Those guys lived in a foxhole for about a month. So out house can be a luxury to them."

"That's good to hear. I need to meet these boys when they come," Maude said in glee as she started clearing the plates there at the table since we were done. I got up as well, reaching over to get both myself and Eugene's plate.

"Let me help, ma," I insisted as the both of the plates in my hands to walk over to the kitchen. But as soon as I was close enough, Maude took my plates without a second thought.

"Let me take care of that, my dear. You go relax with Gene," She insisted, having me look at her almost in shock but she was already off with the plates without me being able to chase after her. Eugene finally took my hand in his and I gazed at him. I saw him smile at me, seeing him tug me over to the backyard. It was a cool night, already giving me a small hint of a shiver when we went out of the door and out onto the dusty ground.

"It's night out here," I voiced to him as I was looking out at some of the clouds that were rolling through. We thought we were going to be home in time for the rain that was coming, but it seemed as though the rain beat us there. A light sprinkle was coming over the area over the both of us as I released Eugene's hand to walk and see the roses along the house wall. They were beyond beautiful, bloom open and wide to show their color and spread their scent among the dusty area. I was too entranced with the roses to hear Eugene some up for the first time since we went out into the backyard.

"You wanna marry me?"

I froze from touching one of the red rose petals. He made it sound so simple and yet so concerning at the same time as I was looking ahead for a brief second before looking behind me at him. We were slowly getting wet from the sprinkling of rain, and I could see how he was watching me with both intimacy in his eyes and a staggered look on his body. I knew he really meant it, I could hear it in his voice and how he was watching me.

"What'd ya say?" I asked, clearly not thinking about it clearly now since it came out of nowhere and in the middle of the night, outside his parents home. He licked his lips, seeing that I wasn't running for the hills yet, and he walked over a little bit to me to be a little closer. Eugene hesitated a bit before clearing his throat and trying it one more time.

"I didn't know how else to do this, and I figured being out here would be great," He explained, almost talking in a bit of a stutter and he then pointed to the house behind us, "I asked my ma and pop if we could come over and I can do this…that I can ask this,"

"Figured they would be in on this," I joked with him, seeing the color back on his face other than the look of panic. He then walked right in front of me, taking both of my hands on his own. I took another shaky breath when he finally spoke up.

"I couldn't think of the right time to ask you to marry me, even while we were still over in Europe and the war was endin'. But I never got around to it since I was afraid I would do it wrong," He explained almost in a stammer, thinking it out in his head as he was still holding my hands close to himself. My own heart was beating faster and faster. Even my head was feeling light from how he was saying this so purely.

"But I want ya to know that I wanted to ask you to marry me for awhile," He paused, having me keep my eyes on him and I was grinning from ear to ear. His hair was getting far too wet and I could almost sense that he was shivering, "I don't think I would have made it through the war without you bein' there for me and with me. You were the one best thing about the whole war and the one thing I don't want to forget or erase. You're helping me now and I don't wanna be without you,"

Finally, after pretty much shelling out all of his feelings for me, he finally got down on one knee and looked up right at me. The blue in his eyes was glossed from either the rain or with tears. Either way, I did not see this coming and I wished I could have to be more prepared.

"I'm gonna do this properly: Olivia Bellerose, would you marry me?"

My smile on my face was so big it felt like it was going to have me have a permanent smile for the rest of my life, but in that moment I didn't care. All the shit that went wrong in my life seemed to have washed away and been no longer going to be a permanent mark on me. Elliot was no longer a worry to me, my mother was no longer etching a wound onto my heart since Eugene was somehow replacing it with a much bigger heart that could honestly make every nightmare less scary and less real. There was even a moment in my life where I thought I was never going to be married to anyone, not since Elliot killed that dream and my mother made it grander than it was. I was overjoyed with the thought of marriage, and yet not I was overjoyed.

All from Eugene.

"If I say yes will you get off from the ground before you catch a cold?" I asked him, seeing him grin from ear to ear now as he then slowly got up from the wet and muddy ground, his pants were already wet. As soon as he was fully standing up in front of me, I leaned into him to plant a kiss. We both smiled through the kiss, having me feel hot all over and once we pulled away from the kiss, I hugged him close and was refusing to let him go.

"I'm glad you said yes," he mumbled into my hug as I snorted and pulled away to look at him. He was smiling so big as well, almost cheesy but enough to give me more butterflies.

"You think I would have said no?" I asked him in almost a shocked tone, "I would never refuse that from you, Eugene."

"Good to know," He replied in relief, sneaking in another kiss, "I think we should head inside before we both get sick. Plus, my ma is probably waiting for us to come in and tell her the good news," he wrapped an arm around me as we both walked over to the house once more, but this time it felt different.

We were engaged, in the rain, and there was no ounce of regret within that moment.


	37. Chapter 37

"I left your mother last week."

I was sitting across from my father at one of the local cafes in New Orleans, he insisted on having a meeting with me and talking to me about something very urgent and necessary. I asked why not over the phone, but he thought it would be better for it to be face to face. Eugene couldn't come since he was at work and later that day he was going to pick up Joe Liebgott from the train station. Some more of the guys were coming over for the weekend, including Shifty, Liebgott, and O'Neal from Black Mamba. We were slowly getting used to our weekend being filled with people and instant chatters from late nights into the early mornings. It was coincidental that my father wanted to meet in the after noon, which gave me time for me to meet him and go back to the house to see it filled with my old friends. I was looking forward to that part, not this recent news.

"Oh," I recently said to him as we were sitting outside in the patio area. It was a cooler morning since August was coming to an end and September was coming on quick. The humidity was still sticky and sweet along our necks, but not as harsh as it was in July. Just seeing my father in front of me with the bags underneath his eyes, his youthfulness was lost again and the way he sagged against his chair was enough for me to see that he lost some sleep over this.

"Are you okay with that, papa?" I asked him carefully since if I said that wrong thing it would be right. He gave me a sad smile.

"I feel like it's been a long time running, dear," he explained, taking a careful drink from his cup before breathing out slowly, "She wasn't the same woman that I thought I knew and loved. You know me, I've tried to go through the notion that she would change back to who she was….but I was wrong," I could see how defeated with that thought on how things were not going to go back to the way they were. It made me sad to know that he was going through this, and not being able to go back.

"Papa," I reassured him, seeing him look at me now with his loving eyes, "If you think this is the right choice, then it is. I never saw you as someone who regretted something he's done." He gave me another smile, this one was a bit warmer now.

"I'm quite glad that you and your sister were raised to be independent. You know I talk about you all the time to my friends at work. I would say, 'Oh my daughter went off to war for her country. I've never been so proud'." he sounded light hearted when he said that, I waved him off.

"It's nothing to brag about really," I reminded him, but he shook a finger at me.

"You lady, if I know anything about what you did over there, it's that you did some good. It'll be a good long time before you can tell me what happened, and that I can live with. But from where I'm sitting, seeing how you've put yourself together, that's something to be proud of," He explained, "And Eugene's been taking good care of you too. Have I mentioned that I like him?"

"Plenty of times," I answered.

"Well good, you outta keep him. He's way more deserving of you than Elliot ever was. I never liked Elliot to begin with," he went on, taking another drink, "I would see his father from time to time around the party get-togethers. Man's as sour as his son, if not worse."

"He thought I was too plain for Elliot," I added.

"I saw him the other day, and he finally asked about you," I eyed him with big eyes as he ruffled his hair on the other side of the table, "He wondered how you were doing. As if he was really interested in your well-being."

"What did you say?" I asked him, not intrigued with what that family was up to and why they were thinking about me.

"I told him that you were far braver than his now ever was in his life, not to mention you killed at least a few dozen Germans," he replied with a smug look.

"Papa!" I said in shock.

"Is it true?" he asked in an amused tone, having me roll my eyes now as he went on, "Anyhow, he told me that Elliot read your letter that you gave him. He even said that some of the things you said in that letter were both rude and distasteful."

"Well, what I really wanted to say I would rather say it to his face than on a piece of paper. He deserved that much, though that's minimal." I reminded my father but snorted.

"Well, his father asked me if it was true what you wrote, and I just rebuke him for calling you a liar. Elliot has no spine," I said him pause and think to himself for a moment and he breathed out, "I'm so glad that I said that out loud."

I finally laughed that afternoon, the both of us smirking from his gesture and we sat there in that mood for a moment or two. Just talking to my father in his manner was uplifting in itself, a smooth sigh of relief that was what I needed with him since my mother was always in the middle of it. I finally stared at him in intrigued.

"What are you going to do now, papa?" I asked the infamous question. He saw the worry in my eyes, then tapping my hand that was resting on top of the table that was holding my coffee cup.

"You don't worry about me, _Chere_. I'm gonna find my own place on the other side of town that I know she doesn't go to, run the company like before, and it'll all be okay. That's what we have to do in times of change, eh? Hope for the best and know that it'll be okay."

I knew that I wanted to wait to tell him about the engagement, Eugene mostly wanted to ask him for my hand formally since it felt right. My father was being more hopeful about this, about leaving his wife and starting all over again. This wasn't the time to give him more news, either good or bad. All that I was glad for was that he told me face to face, that he wasn't going to look at this as some kind of burden or curse. That last thing he said to me stuck with me even to this day:

It'll be okay.

* * *

The drove home from seeing my father was a bit surreal. I was still reeling from what he told me and how he was willing to go through the change without remorse. Still, I wish I was just as brave as him when it came to that: being able to pick up something new and run with it. I was so reluctant in the past with things that were new that I regretted the plenty that I turned down. Sadness was not killing me from hearing that news from my parents, it felt more surreal and out of sorts.

The dust picked up while I drove the truck back onto the dirt road from the main road that would lead me to the house that was now my home. I could see my house in the distance and it was creeping up in front of the road. It felt good to know that I was out of that hellhole that used to be my home and I had a new place, a new start. My father was going through the same thing, and I was proud of him.

Finally, pulling up in front of the house, I turned off the engine as the front door opened. I could hear chatting inside of the house, a few pieces of laughter here and there and I breathed out slowly. How was I going to tell Eugene since we had guests that were there just to see the both of us? He would be able to tell something was up with me, tell everyone that was there would be able to. I wasn't great at hiding what I was feeling these days so that training in the military was now out of the window.

"She's back! Hey, captain!" I closed the door behind me as I saw none other than Liebgott walk out of the house with a beer in hand. I grinned, seeing the smirk on his face like before and his short wavy hair in flopped to the side. He flashed his smile at me as Eugene was right behind him.

"Liebgott. Long time no see," I said to him as he gave me a big hug. It felt good to hug him again, almost like he hugged back in Europe before I hopped on the ship. He was still skinny as a rail and almost bony, but none the less it was the same kind of hug.

"You looked great." he commented, looking at me up and down, "Not used to you in a dress though, but still you look good."

"Easy, Liebgott," Eugene warned him playfully as Liebgott eye him.

"Oh calm down, Doc. I know you two are together. I'd be an idiot to go against that: your girlfriend here would kill me,"

"That's true," I said in agreement.

"Oh see? Her sassiness had not left her!" he joked, I smirked back at him. Even Eugene grinned from hearing how we were already verbally sparring with each other. But once I locked eyes with Eugene, he could see that something else was on my mind and he gave me a look.

"Doc told me you were meeting with your old man," Joe said, finally laying off the bomb that would happen, "How'd that go? I've been meeting to ask him plenty of questions about you. One is definitely going to be where you got your humor—"

"My dad just left my mom," I blurted out between the three of us. No one spoke, the both of them were in utter shock from what I told him and how I delivered it. Eugene looked floored, and Joe almost looked a bit awkward about it as he shifted from one foot to another. Sure I would have said it differently and in another time of that day, but it was mostly now or never.

"Shit," Liebgott said in shock as he then looked at me carefully, "You found out today?"

"Yeah, he told me," I replied, Eugene immediately walking over to where I was standing and looking at me in the eyes carefully.

"You alright?" he asked me in concern. I even drew out a shaky breath and nodded my head.

"I think so. I should have seen this coming, but it's still a bit much. I think he was fine about it," I explained to him, seeing him then lean in to give me a secure hug. I hugged him back immediately, thinking that it would help me feel better in the end and as we hugged, I saw Joe smile from what we were doing. He knew about the both of us, maybe Luz told him in a letter or a phone call. But he was finally smirking so big at me as I eyed him while hugging Eugene, he winked at me.

Once we pulled away from each other, Joe finally spoke up for the three of us and he grabbed a cigarette from his pocket.

"Let's get some drinks," He said as he inhaled his cigarette and the smoke left his nose.

"Joe.." Eugene was about to start, but Joe shook his head.

"Oh come on. This is the same woman who basically ruined your girlfriend's life," Joe tried to explain when I once again intervened.

"Actually his fiancé…" I trailed off, seeing Joe's face get big with both shock and intrigue since I dropped another bomb. I slowly saw a large smile grow on his face and he was about to burst.

"Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!" He yelled out as he looked back and forth between the both of us. Eugene looked down at his feet and shuffled a bit as I just grinned at him. He then chuckled and almost shook his own body from the laughter.

"I knew it! I totally called that shit!" Joe said in glee as Eugene finally snapped his head up.

"That's for the nice words about it, Joe," Eugene almost scolded him, but Joe walked over to clasp him on the shoulder.

"We need to celebrate! You got the Captain to marry you, that's a huge deal," Joe explained, and now I snapped my head at him.

'You make me sound like some kind of a hermit," I explained, in which he thought about it as he inhaled once more and the smoke the rising in the air.

"I think we can agree you're far from a hermit. Anywho, we gotta have a party or something,"

"Shifty and O'Neal don't come in for about another hour or so," I reminded him, but he shrugged his shoulders.

"We can get the house ready," Joe suggested, which made Eugene and I lock eyes with one another and Eugene even shrugged his shoulders. If we were going to tell people about our lives together, now and tonight seemed like a good time to get that whole situation started and over with. It would be one less headache for me to sleep with, and who knew? It would be nice to have some kind of good news around here, nothing depressing or sad.

We needed some more good in the world anyhow.

* * *

That night we went to a bar.

One of the local bars was throwing a party for any local veterans that soldiers that came home. Eugene found out about it from another co-worker, whom apparently wanted both Eugene and I to come. Thankfully, and much to our surprise, it was the same weekend that Joe, Shifty, and O'Neal were in town just in time for the celebration at the bar.

I call it fate.

The bar wasn't huge, nor was it small. It was already filled with locals who served and the alcohol was flowing over to them thanks to the bartender. The band was playing great Cajun music, having the mood be set and ready for a great night. We made our way to the side of the bar where they had one more table left. The five of us crammed around that table, but the way we saw it: it was perfect.

Shifty got our group beers from the bar and we all took to drinks while we were watching the dancing going on. I was glad that O'Neal and Shifty got to come out. even with Joe using this place as more of an excuse to celebrate two things that came to light on the same day. I filled the both of them in with have happened to my mom and dad, and like before, either one of them were surprised. But after that news, I told them about the engagement and they were more thrilled about that than the first pair of news.

"I'm mighty glad you're doing alright," Shifty reassured me over the loud music of the band as we sat together. O'Neal and Eugene were talking to Liebgott on the other side of the table, grins on all of their faces as they were swapping stories and dirking down our first set of bottles.

"Thank you, Shifty. I'm glad to hear you're doing good too," I said back to him, another song coming through the bar as we mostly were just people watching the whole bar and the people talking to each other.

"I don't think they would throw something like this back in Virginia," Shifty commented, having me grin from hearing how innocent he was.

"Good thing you came out here then. We do know how to party were in New Orleans, and we party for anything," I explained. Shifty took a long drink from his beer as both turned to listen to the current conversation that Joe was telling both Eugene and O'Neal.

"You guys gotta come out to San Francisco! The city is amazing and I can show you around for sure! Hell, we can use my cab and I'll take you to all the spots! The ocean is perfect over there."

"I've heard great things about the place," Eugene commented in agreement, though O'Neal shrugged her shoulder.

"Eh, I think I would have seen better," I knew she was joking when she said it. She was another one that I was looking at in a new light. She grew out her hair, which was clipped to the side and was wearing women's slacks and a dress shirt that was rolled at the sleeves. Out of her army uniform, she was attractive, and even some of the locals were turning their eye over to her as she was walking in with us.

Yet she was still her typical self.

"Hey, Bellerose," Joe said to me as he hopped off of his chair and over to the front of me with his hands in his pocket, "How about another beer? You guys have alright drinks in this joint."

"Sure, why not," I said with a shrug, Shifty getting up from his chair as well.

"I'll help ya Joe." he offered, the both of them walking off as I moved to sit closer to Eugene and O'Neal. I loved the way that they would talk with one another like they've talked to each other for years.

"Thanks for inviting me to come out with you guys," O'Neal said to Eugene as I finished my beer there in my hand and listened to their talk, "Being at home already has me a bit down since it's been difficult to be back."

"I can agree with that," Eugene commented, "But I figured that Olive wanted to see someone from Black Mamba. She needed a friend."

"Well, it's a high honor that she considered me a friend," she joked, actually having Eugene grin and chuckle from her antic about me, "Hell, if she was on the other side of the Goddamn country I would go see her too. She was a great Captain and I respect her more than the people in my town." It warmed my heart a little bit from hearing that. O'Neal was a piece of work, but she was never one that was going to lie about emoting or sugar coat things.

"Plus, I kind of like you too. You were one of the very few Easy Members that I genuinely like," She added to him, which raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"I feel honored," Eugene replied as I rolled my eyes from how smooth he was handling it, Eugene then finally looking over at me. he saw me eyeing him as he was talking to O'Neal, which made him chuckle as I scooted over to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Is she being nice?" I asked him coyly, O'Neal chuckling.

"I'm always nice, Captain," She replied back to me as I snorted, "I was always the nice one in the Black Mamba group."

"I beg to differ," I argued, yet I knew she meant well.

"I was mostly making sure he's worthy of marrying you," She explained, "From what I gathered, with my intense interrogation, I think he's alright."

"It looked like an intense interrogation," I joked.

"I thought I was in trouble," Eugene commented as well, the three of us grinning as Joe and Shifty came back with fresh beer bottles.

"Here we go," Joe said as he handed one to me and one to Eugene a Shifty gave one to O'Neal, "This place is hopping. They really know how to throw a party around here,"

"You kiddin'? Every weekend they throw a party here for some reason or another," I explained as I took a drink of cold beer.

"Thankfully they have a legit reason to throw a party this time," Eugene said in agreement as the band started up a new song. This song was more folk and a hint of Irish in it, the room cheering as people were starting to dance in their spots. Joe smiled from ear to ear, taking a large swig as he looked over at me.

"Let's go dancing," He said to the group.

"Never too you to have dancin' feet, Liebgott," Eugene joked to him, but Joe waved him off and pointed to the dancing crowd.

"Oh come on. This party is for us! We deserve to raise a little bit of hell," he said to all four of us like a proclamation. I thought about it, thinking that he was right. I was already letting go a bunch of things from my past and I would just go with it, be happy for once and not care. I took one long swig from my beer, Eugene looking at me in shock.

 _"L'enfer avec elle!_ " (The Hell with it) I said to Eugene as I took him by the hand and I dragged him out onto the dance floor.

"What did she say?" Shifty asked over the music as he was being dragged by O'Neal by his sleeve.

"You don't wanna know!" Eugene said back to him as we were now in the middle of the floor, jumping up and down. The smile was never off my face, hearing Joe chuckle and O'Neal singing along with the music without knowing the words was the best thing of that night. I was just having a good time with Eugene, the both of us grinning like idiots and feeling the beer soak through our veins. I felt invincible, all five of us did. We survived.

We were invincible.


	38. Chapter 38

My wedding day came out of the blue. It really did.

Up until that morning, I was still trying to keep it together. Plenty of stories about soldiers barely surviving when they came home, barely going through the day and just feeling depressed. I was one of those, I knew I was one of those. I didn't want to be, but there I was just trying to get the nerve to breathe in some fresh air.

My days were filled with activities, mostly any who. I would take ballet class two times a week with other adults, and even though it was therapeutic and calming when I was dancing, I was still hearing gunshots in the back of my mind and seeing the blood when I closed my eyes.

Things were meant to be simple, they were meant to be normal mornings and evenings with Eugene and the tasks were supposed to have me feel normal. However, no matter how many times I would shop at the store to get food or work in the house, nothing felt the same again. Those nightmares were more intense as times went on, which made me realize that I wasn't helping my problem with my life and my past demons.

Eugene could see it, when I would drop off a conversation at dinner time or when I would stare out the window early in the morning with my mug of coffee. He was watching me with his loving and yet concerning eyes as I was rethinking some of the missions back in Europe. My brain was trying to take me back to the pain of those who died, and those who barely made it out alive. I didn't want him to see it, so a smile and a small kiss on his cheek were enough for me to hide it for a moment or two. But he was smart, he knew before I could hide any more of it. But who was I to give in and be weak: I was trained not to be weak and to not give into anything that would bring me to my knees.

One of those nights there was a thunder storm, and once again I was lost within my own thoughts as I was sitting by the kitchen window and I was gazing out into the darkness. The sky was lighting up from time to time, followed by a low rumble of thunder was having me remember. I hated remembering, and no matter how much I would push those thoughts in the back of my head and try to trick my brain into another thought, it was getting worse as I was hearing those tanks, the far off mortars and gun fire echoing with the thunder and lightning.

"You with me?" Eugene asked me in a tentative voice right behind me, while I was staring out into the darkness. I knew he knew that I was lost in my own head, a puzzle piece of a brain than a map like it used to be.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, seeing another flicker in the distance, having me see him stand next to me and stay close enough in case I needed him. I knew that I was suffering and yet he was still staying right next to me. I did the same for him as soon as we moved into the house, I was the anchor for him and now the roles were switched. Neither now of us knew the other's real demons, we are on different points of the map then. But none the less, we were still helping each other and keeping the other from drowning.

"You remember when you told me not to lose myself?" He asked me, having me nod my head slowly. I knew when. Back when we were in the cold of Bastogne and we just developed feelings for one another. We both were afraid for each other's well being and sanity.

"I'm more worried about you now than I was then," He explained whole heartedly, lacing our fingers together and pressing his palm into my own. It was another seal he was pressing into me, even with the small engagement ring that he gave me that belonged to his mother, this seal was real enough.

"I can hear the guns, Eugene, " I explained to him, my voice quivering a bit as another round of thunder was coming through the area.

"You're here with me, Chere. You're not back there, " He reminded me, the same way that I would remind him and tell him over and over when he would sleep walk and have his own moments of silence, "Please know that you're here with me and that we're both goin' to be okay,"

I didn't say anything, but I held his hand for dear life as we were watching the storm roll by and keep the night at bay. I knew Eugene loved me, and I knew I loved him. That was the only constant thing that we both had at the moment and the only thing I really needed.

* * *

"When should we get married?" Eugene asked me, out of the blue as we both were at the kitchen table on an early Sunday morning. I was working on a letter to Webster since we wrote that he got a job as a writer. Eugene was across from me, drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Don't know," I replied back casually, "Have you thought about it?"

"Sometimes, here and there," He answered, "Maybe we should get married in the winter, less heat anyhow," I could tell he was throwing out suggestions about it. We never got around to talking about when and where we were going to be married, let alone who was going to come and all that. It gave me a headache already trying to plan it in my head: we were still getting by barely with money though we were content, and the last thing we both needed was stress.

"Do we need a wedding?" I asked him softly, almost thinking that I was going to walk over a thin rope asking him that. I paused on my letter, looking up at Eugene, and I could instantly see the confusion on his face. He heard it, the small look of defeat was on his face and I instantly shook my head and reached over to hold his hand.

"No no…sweetheart I don't mean it like that," I reassured him, seeing him looking at our joined fingers and my ring on the top of it, "I still wanna marry you. Believe me, nothin' in this whole goddamn world is gonna make me change my mind." After I said that, I could see a small smile on his lips and even a hint of pure happiness there on his face.

"Same here," He replied smoothly, taking my hand over to kiss the back of it and then placing our hands back down on the table, "What were you thinkin' then?"

"I'm thinkin' that we don't do a huge wedding," I explained to him thoughtfully, "I don't think either one of us wants something like that," he thought about it again to himself and he finally nodded his head in agreement.

"We can find someone to marry us in the church, just the two of us," He explained, having me raise an eyebrow at him.

"You would do that?" I asked him, seeing him shrug his shoulders.

"Why not? You just said that we both don't want a huge wedding, which is fine by me. As long as we get married in a church I'm happy with whatever kind of wedding we have," He explained.

"Well, if not the two of us, then your folks and my sister, brother-in-law, and father," I added to the thought process, "Family is all we need." He once again was quiet, now making me worried as I looked at him now in curiosity and wonder.

"What is it?" I asked him, seeing him shift a bit in his chair.

"Since we're keepin' it small, you don't want anyone from Easy or Black Mamba?" he asked, almost sheepishly to he won't' trudge on eggshells. That was another thing that I didn't take into consideration: our companies from the war. We would talk to them via letters, and there was already talk about a reunion within the next year or so when our lives were settled. I missed them dearly, wondering about their own lives and how they were adjusting. Even looking down at my letter to Webster I felt a tug in my heart about that part. How were we going to plan this?

Eugene squeezed my hand getting my attention again. His kind eyes were warm to me as he could tell I was thinking too hard.

"We'll figure it out," He reminded me softly and carefully. We didn't have to marry in that moment, nor did we have to worry about it. Eugene and I were going to take it day by day, I knew it from how he was holding my hand and talking to me gently.

* * *

The next few weeks we barely talked about it, which was fishy to me since he was the one who brought it up at morning at breakfast. When I would ask, he would either divert the conversation or just not give me a straight answer. That's when I knew something was up, having me watch him as he would walk by me and brush off my question about it. He knew something, as sneaky as he was.

"You know I was trained to inflict torture," I reminded him as I was once again shut down when I asked him.

"I know, and I know you wouldn't do that to your fiancé," he added to me.

It went on like that for days: the both of us working and Eugene dancing around the topic of marriage. I felt like he was leaving me out of something, and he was doing it on purpose. He was never one to be cruel, but then again I was still learning about him and getting to know more things under the surface. Plenty of days went by, and it felt like the topic in itself was back on the back burner.

But he did surprise me after all.

December came through, the cooler days were summoned along with the first hints of Christmas decorations in towns and holiday music on the radio. I was planning on having my sister, brother-in-law, and father for at least one Christmas dinner at our home before we would do to my father's as a new official tradition. It was nice to get a few letters here and there from both Easy and Black Mamba, some of them even sent their family Christmas cards to both Eugene and me.

I remember that morning, waking up to a cooler sunrise that was coming through the window shades. There was no sound heard, which was odd since Eugene would make breakfast if he was the one who got up first. I would do the same for him, and yet that morning there was nothing heard from the kitchen. No humming from Eugene, no breakfast sizzling on the pan, not even the small smell of coffee being made.

Something was wrong, or off maybe.

I rolled over, of course not seeing Eugene there on the other side of the bed. I reached over, feeling that it was cold. He was gone for a bit, which was worrying me a bit. I didn't know if he had to go into work extra early or something else happened, but he would have woken me up to tell me.

" _Mon amour_?" (My love?) I called out, only getting up a bit to see something on Eugene's pillow It was a note, folded nicely and placed carefully on top of his white pillow. Next to his pillow was one of my robes that I would wear at night, the one that crisp white. Slowly I reached over to take the note and open it. Of course, it was his handwriting in the note itself.

 _Venez, mon Cher._

I grinned, not knowing what was going on but it was still sweet like of him. I slipped on the white robe and tied it in front of me. I walked over barefoot over to the living room, hearing nothing of course but the faint sounds of the wind coming through the house. Looking around I saw no sign of Eugene, but I noticed another small clue. It was perched up on the top of one of our coffee tables that in the middle of the room.

Walking over I noticed that it was a few flowers placed in a mason jar. They were gorgeous flowers, almost too exquisite for me to even touch as they were peach roses. Once I was close enough, there was another note there at the table of the mason jar with roses.

 _Prenez-les et venez dehors_

I was even more intrigued, seeing all of the flowers tied together in some kind of makeshift bouquet in the mason jar. Slowly I grabbed the bouquet itself and held it in my hand, the roses themselves were already trimmed at the bottom. He was up to something and I was still not understanding what was going on and how this was going to end. Finally, I made my way over to the backyard where I would think he would be.

Once I saw what was outside, I was floored with what I saw.

There in the middle of the backyard, there was a large group of people standing with each other and talking in hushed whispers. At first, I was confused as to who they were and why I was standing there outside my house in my white robe and holding a bouquet of flowers. It was shocking, to say the least, but it was worse since I knew who these people were.

Black Mamba.

"She's awake!" O'Neal said in glee as they all stopped their talking and looked over at me. I also saw Straton and Harper, along with the rest of them. All of them, walking over to stand in front of me with huge grins on their faces and they were wearing such pretty dress and heels. Even their hair was curled and they were wearing light make up. They knew something else, and event hog I was just as excited to see all of them….why they were here was not making sense.

"Heya Captain," Harper said to me with her hair flowing in the cool wind. I couldn't help but eye her in suspicion.

"Harper…what are ya'll doing out here?" I asked her. Some of the girls were giggling behind Harper, trying to keep it together with what they knew and what they were keeping away from me.

"We have on good authority to take you somewhere," Harper explained to me as she shifted from one foot to another.

"Where?" I asked.

"You don't need to know," She replied back I almost a rapid fire result, "What we're in charge of, is getting you there in one piece and in a pretty white dress."

"Preferably with no scratches or black eyes….so don't fight us on this one," Straton explained to me now behind Harper with a small smirk on her own face. O'Neal finally spoke up, walking up to be next to Harper and I could see the sincerity in her own eyes.

"Your fiancé has a bit of a plan for you two….and he wanted to surprise you as much as he could. So…unless you don't plan on marrying that sweet guy I approve of, come with us and I assure you it's going to be worthwhile," I got some kind of glimpse them, seeing the others smiling agreement in what O'Neal explained. So Eugene was behind this, which made me wonder what more did he plan behind my back? Did he think that I wouldn't handle planning a wedding? He might have been right really, and this might be the one chance we have at being married without a headache or hassle. I couldn't say no to that. So I finally rolled my eyes, thinking that there was no way I was going to get out of whatever was going to come next.

"What do I have to do?" I asked her, almost a bit bitterly now and I could see her grin now as she had a good look within her eyes, a plan in her head now as she finally gave me some kind of plan.

"Get back on into your room, and pick out one of the two dresses we brought for you,"

* * *

I was married later that morning, the heart of December.

It was all Eugene's plan. Apparently, he could tell that we need some kind of change soon for the both of us and what better way to do it than to get both of our companies together in one space. He tried to get many of the Easy company members there in one spot, yet only a few had to say no since they had other obligations at home with their families.

Of course, he had the wedding at the church, and I was not allowed to know where and how he did it because Black Mamba was supposed to keep me in the dark. O'Neal, if not Harper, were having a ball with not telling me, almost like they were having payback for going along with my antics as their Captain.

We drove to the front of the church, already the doors were open and the sun was shining nice and bright over the top of the small white chapel. I finally got out of the car, wearing the one white dress that I picked out. It was a fitted white dress that came to my calves, sleeves that came to my elbows and my hair pinned to the side with some new curls. O'Neal handed me my bouquet and I looked at the chapel right in front of me. A few steps in and I would be married…and it was such a hard thing to wrap my mind around it.

"You can do this," O'Neal reassured me as she smoothed out her own dress before she fixed my curls with her slender fingers.

"You think I can?" I asked her almost in a shaky tone, having the reality of what I was about to do sink in under my skin and white dress.

"I know you can since you took out a German assault team without blinking your eye, I think marrying the guy you love will be a cake walk," She explained truthfully as I breathed out one more breath, "And you know he's waiting for you in that church."

"Yeah, I know," I finally smiled as I said that. He was waiting for me in there, probably just as nervous as I was and maybe having a thought or a small glimmer of doubt that I would show up in there. But who was I to deny that for him? I wanted this as much as anyone or any bride. If this was a mission I should become and calm, but then again it was a mission.

My final mission that I knew I was going to succeed in.

I grabbed a bit of my dress, rolled my shoulders and started walking up the stairs that lead to the church, as sure as I was ever going to be.

We kept the ceremony short and sweet. Easy Company and Black Mamba wore their dress greens for it, including Eugene in which he looked beyond handsome as my new husband. Winters and Nixon, along with Lipton were watching me with small smiles on their faces, Winters almost looked like a proud father really since I looked up to him as a leader. The one person I didn't expect to see there amongst the one who came was Spiers. I knew I had other people that I was close to in Easy, including Shifty and Bull, but Spiers was none the less glad to be there as he stood with Lipton next to him.

My father, as handsome as he was in his own suit and tie, walked me down the aisle with a few tears in his eyes. I could tell he was beyond glad that his wild card of a daughter was infamy getting the marriage that she wanted, not one that she would be trapped in and not feel any sort of happiness. He loved Eugene like he was his own son, and now he was.

I could remember his vows, as clear as the morning as he smiled at me so brightly and not a single ounce of doubt within him as he said them to me in his deep and yet soothing tone.

"I promise to take care of you, stay by your side in the good and the bad, to never let you feel any doubt or pain, and to walk through life as your supporter, best friend, and husband. I'll hold you up, protect you, and treat you with all the love you deserve," I felt tears falling from my face when he was reciting the vows. He was far too sweet for his own good, and I loved him far more because of that. I never got my vows read since I didn't think we would reach this moment so soon, that our wedding would come later with more preparation. But I did the best I could, and I managed to say what was in my mind and on my heart.

"Eugene, I didn't think I would reach a point where I would love someone how I fell in love with you. I do admit I was scared at first because wearing my heart on my sleeve was not what I was trained to do when we met. However, I wouldn't take it back since you have made me a better person. I will always love you, always stand with you in all your choices and decisions, honor you as your wife, and will always remain your best friend. You're my light in this world that will not fade, and I love you far too dearly."

We sealed it with a kiss, and a new chapter began.

* * *

We had the reception back at the house, everyone pitching in a few dollars here and there to bring the drinks and some food for us to eat. The ceremony in itself was short and yet sweet, standing in front of the pastor who was delighted to marry Eugene and me that cool day. My friends and family were there, that's all I really needed and I knew Eugene felt the same with his parents and some of his co workers as well.

We lit some candles and lights outside the house to give us some more space. Luckily my father brought a record player over to play music, doubling it as a wedding present for us. It was a sweet sight to see, all of our friends and family there to talk to each other and laugh about old stories.

I even had a moment with Major Winters, seeing him walk over to smile at me as I was watching Eugene talk to my father, Babe, and Bull in one corner of the backyard. He handed me a glass of wine in which I smiled at me.

"I feel as though I should salute you," I commented to him, seeing him chuckle as he shook his head.

"No need, I figured you needed a drink from all that you went through today. I'm surprised that Eugene did all of this," He commented as I took a small drink from the red wine.

"To be honest, I'm not," I replied, seeing him Winters watch me with his own kind smile, "We both talked about marriage for a long time, but there was never a good time since we both were just trying to be back to normal," Winters nodded as if he knew what that meant. He was studying me, almost like he was a major again and was trying to read between the lines before he was going to speak.

"Coming back to civilian life is never the easiest thing to do, and there's no way for me to know what it's like to come back to civilian life from Special Operations. I want you to know that you have the support of Easy Company behind you, as well as the others in Black Mamba,"

"Thank you, sir," I thanked him, seeing him chuckle.

"I think we're good on you calling me Dick for now on," He joked, in which I cracked a smile at him.

"That'll take some time for me to get used to," I admitted, "I'm glad to see all of you back. Given my recent turn of events when it comes to family, this is what we both needed." I could see that Winters was drinking in what I told him and was trying to find the right words for it, and he was also trying not to step far too close to my personal life. He didn't know about my mother, and I don't think I wanted him to know since it was still a bit too raw for me to get over just yet.

"You have a family with me at least, and that's a promise," He reassured me with boldness in his voice, "And the rest of Easy company can say that same thing." It was like he stamped down an agreement of where I stood with not only the men in Easy Company but Dick Winters himself. It was almost reassuring for me to know that I had beyond support, more than I thought I would ever get. It was not only a sense of friendship, but loyalty and affirmation from a group of men who not only believed in me, and knew I was worth something.

I loved them all so.


	39. Chapter 39

**6 months after wedding….**

"One two three…one two three….that's it,"

I was doing the exercise within the ballet studio on a cool Sunday afternoon, which was the adult class that the studio was offering. It was one of the highlights of my evening and week, being able to go back to basics and dance within nothing harming me or haunting me. The paint was softly playing in the background with our teacher walking around to check our posture. I was getting lost in my own head as usual with the music flowing in my head and my hands moving mostly on their own. Of course, I felt like a little girl again, and I felt free.

But every once in awhile, I was back in the war.

It wasn't as bad as before when I was having the horrible nightmares and tremors, but the evidence was still there and the sounds were still heard in the distance. They were soft, no longer brash and close like it was tickling my ear. The softness of those bullets and the guns going off over and over again were almost in a rhythm, the same as when I would dance.

"Move with the music, Mrs. Roe," I heard behind me as I was doing my routine in front of the mirror with the others. The teacher said it with such gentleness and grace as she stood behind me and watched me with warm eyes in her own ballet attire. She was in her older years, and yet when she danced she moved with the swiftness of a young twenty something that was in her prime at some high ballet studio in New York.

"There you go," she said in a smooth manner as I kept going, her smile grinning from ear to ear now as she watched me from the mirror in front of the both of us, "I know you have nightmares that are still haunting you but try to let those nightmares move away from you as you dance. Focus on the music, focus on your heartbeat….move with your heartbeat," She was seeing that I was still thinking about the war and how I had a rough past, to begin with. I told her enough about what I did and what I had to do, so for me to even be in this class and just get by was enough. It felt good to have that support for me here in the dance room.

Finally, with the piano fading away, the other dancers thanked the teacher and went to grab their things. I was frozen there in front of the mirror, looking at myself as the teacher went off to talk to them one by one. My head was in a different place, a very different place with something else that I found out that day. The doctor appointment that was supposed to be a routine check-up, later having me go to work at the local elementary school as the receptionist for a few hours, and ending my day at the ballet studio for an hour before heading home for the day. Yet the recent news from the doctors placed took me out of my brain.

I found out that day that I was pregnant, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

* * *

I told Eugene that night, right when I got home from my ballet practice. Eugene was already making dinner for the both of us or at least starting it so that when I got home I can hop in and help him. Eugene would let me use the truck when I would go to work and he would get a ride from a co-worker.

I instantly smiled the soothing smell of his gumbo that he was a master at, wearing his over shirt that he would wear at work and his work pants and boots. I could see some grime along his upper arms, not on his hands since he washed them completely as he was used to doing. The news that I wanted to tell him then and there was hanging on the tip of my tongue and was so close to just letting it explode.

"Heya _Chere_. I thought you'd be back home sooner, so I got dinner started," He said over his shoulder as I was getting my shoes off at the front door, feeling my bare feet touch the hardwood floor and it was a sigh of relief for me. I placed my ballet bag against the wall as well, walking over slowly to the open kitchen on the other side of the room.

"How was work?" I asked, keeping my voice low and simple since the one thing I wanted to say was threatening to come out.

"Work was good. We got three new houses to work on and that means for hours for me to work. I think I'm gonna get my promotion with my boss since he likes me," Eugene explained as he was going into details about what was going on with his day, "Also, ma and pop want to know when we can head over and have dinner with them again since it's been a good few weeks. I explained to Ma that we're both busy nowadays and that last thing we need is—"

"Eugene, I'm pregnant,"

He instantly straightened up, his spine straight as an arrow as his wooden spoon was no longer stirring the pot. He was frozen, not moving in inch now as I saw the flame under the pot of gumbo still going and the sound of the bubbling gumbo was getting a bit louder. Sighing, I walked over and turned the burner down without a second thought.

"You're gonna burn the gumbo," I reminded him, almost like the same conversation that we had back in Europe while we were in the war in that small German apartment. That was a happier time, but now it wasn't the case with this moment. I looked at him, seeing his face and how he was thinking to himself with the news that I gave him.

"You're pregnant?" He asked me, having it sound almost foreign on his tongue and I nodded slowly. I could tell he was waiting for me to have some kind of reaction to that, to either be trusting out in terms or jumping up and down with the thought of the both of us having a baby. He was studying me, finally seeing the hesitance in my eyes and it was finally sinking in with him.

"What is it?" He asked me, moving his hand away from the spoon that he was clutching for dear life and he reached over to lay his hand on my hand now, feeling my hand trembling and moving without my stopping. I breathed out slowly, trying not to cry in front of him since more fear than happy thoughts were flooding me.

"I don't think I can do it," I admitted to him, waiting to see him fall down in pieces from my rejection of wanting to be a mother. I was waiting for him to feel betrayed since I knew he was a gentle soul that would be a great father, and yet I didn't want to be a mother. At least not now. but he didn't look angry, sad, or in pain.

He looked more concerned.

Finally, he looked down at our gumbo and then turned the burner all the way off and then placing his wooden spoon on the counter next to the stove.

"We're gonna eat this tomorrow. I know where we need to go."

* * *

Eugene placed a chocolate shake in front of me as he was drinking his own shake on the other side of the booth. He took the both of us to a small diner in the outskirt of town, the one diner that would stay open a bit later now as he could tell we needed to have a talk outside the house.

The diner was literally deserted, with one more older couple sitting in the booth on the other side of the diner and the soft music of Basin Street Blues was playing from the kitchen radio. The kitchen was starting to clean up their dinner meals that they finished, so it was a soft background soundtrack as I was looking at my shake in front of me.

"Alright," He said finally, leaning back a bit as he eyed me and placed his hands on the table, "When I was a kid, my ma would take me here when I would need to get something off my chest,"

"Remind me to thank your mother for raisin' you well," I mumbled to him, taking a small bite from the shake with the spoon. He gave me a grin now since I was keeping the mood light.

"You don't want this baby?" He asked it so delicately, not harshly like he was angry at the thought of me not wanting this with him. That pained me, hearing that single sentence coming out from my own husband was enough to have me want to cry.

"It's not that I don't want this baby, Christ no. Honestly, I wouldn't want this baby with anyone but you," I countered with him, shifting a bit. Eugene could tell that it was the truth when I said that, seeing him rearrange himself.

"What's your worst fear?" He asked softly, "Havin' this baby, what's scarin' you about it?"

"Me being like my mother," I said instantly, which was of course the initial fear that I had when I heard the news from the doctor that morning, "I don't wanna be like my mother," he cocked his head at me when I said that, almost having a lump in my stomach with the thought of my mother and all that she pulled with me as a child. Was I going to be almost the same way? Of course, I knew I was going to try and be the opposite of her. But that fear was still haunting me now that I was pregnant and I had mere months to get my own head around it.

"Sugar, I don't think you'll ever be like your mother," Eugene commented to me as I took another bite from my shake in self-pity, "I know you have no mean bone in your body, at least compared to her. You're far from bein' like her."

"Yeah, well her blood still runs in my veins," I commented.

"Well so does my Uncle's blood as well and he's full on Cajun who drinks moonshine far too much," Eugene said back with his remark and a small smirk on his face, "Am I a drinker then?"

"It's not like that," I retorted, rubbing my face with one of my hands as Eugene took my other hand, rubbing my hand with his thumb. "It's just….too many bad memories with my mother. She's the main reason why I left for the army and didn't wanna go back,"

"Which was a good choice that you made," Eugene said in agreement, "I don't want ya to think that you're gonna be a copy of ya mother, and to be honest I'm glad that you're not gonna be. And I only met the woman for five minutes,"

"I wanted you to meet her in less time than that," I commented in a snort, the both of us chuckling a bit with the thought of the awkward first and last meeting. I sighed, moving my fingers in my hair and looking out the window as a soft melody was playing in the diner.

"You wanna know what I think?" Eugene asked me, having me finally look over at him. The small circles from the sleepless nights were slowly fading away and the color was coming back on his face from both working outside on houses and getting more life back in himself. He looked just as youthful as he did when we first met when we were barely in the army.

"Of course I do," I replied back without a second thought, seeing him take one more big bite from his shake as he took my other hand in his. I loved holding his hands, they were calloused and yet soothing at the same time.

"I think we can make this work," He explained to me calmly, already thinking it all out in his head, "We can make room in the house, I know we can. And we are gonna be okay. Don't think that I'm not worried about some things here and there, but I'm gonna stay optimistic about the both of us bringin' a baby in this world. If anyone can do it, we can," It didn't sound like the other proclamations that he would make with the both of us when we were starting out together, but it was soothing enough for me to feel better about this whole situation. He had more faith in me than I would ever fathom. How did I ever get so lucky with someone like him?

"You know that for certain," I said it more in a statement, trying not to be bitter since I was thinking mostly of the cons of this situation than the pros. He grinned from ear to ear.

"Someone has to be the optimistic one in this relationship, might as well be me," He answered, having me raise an eyebrow at him.

"And what am I in this relationship?" I asked him in curiosity, seeing him eye me up and down and totally flirting with me with his eyes. Gah, his boldness was another change since we've been married, It was like he had no shame in being married to me, holding my hand boldly in public and kissing me on the cheek when he would get the chance.

"You're the gorgeous one," He replied smoothly, having me finally break down my walls of doubt and literally roll my eyes at him,

"You'll never talkin' to Liebgott without my supervision again."

* * *

A few months rolled by, the both of us were slowly getting things ready for the arrival of our baby and the reality was slowly sinking in. We both knew we were going to be tight when it came to space, but once again thanks to Eugene being able to work with a construction company, he got to add on another room to the house with some of the money he saved on for the both of us. I knew he didn't want it to be all free from the company, he wanted some of our money placed it in to be fair. It would make a small dent for us finically, but we would get by.

When I was 4 months pregnant, we got an invitation to drive out to Rector, Arkansas to see Bull at his farmhouse that he was at with his father. He was helping him out with the family business while he was in trade school, but Eugene and I figured it would be a good trip for the both of us to just see him again.

We decided to go out in late October, the both of us thinking we should get there and visit before winter came along and would stop any kind of travel. Eugene packed our pick up truck, let my father watch the house and we drove up the highway that would take us to Rector. The drive itself was several hours, a few stops here and there for the bathroom and food, but it was enjoyable none the less. We chatted here and there in the truck, watching the scenery go by us. The dust lands and bayou melted away in humid green trees and rolling plains, it was a sight to see as we arrived at his farmhouse in the later afternoon. They lived about 3 miles out from the main downtown area, the whole place to themselves which felt a bit isolated to be fair.

Bull hasn't changed a single bit: his muscular and tall frame was still towering over the both of us as he greeted us in front of his large farmhouse that he was in front of. I was still trying to wrap my head around the notion of him being from a farm background, yet he didn't seem to mind with the glowing tan on his skin and the glee in his bright eyes. He was still young and handsome, and he engulfed me in his arms gently to avoid my clear bump on my stomach. When he lowered me to the ground, getting a good look at me with a smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked him, placing my hands on my hips as Eugene went to grab our things from the back of the truck, "You're surprised I'm knocked up?"

"Hello no," He replied in his thick accent, "I was glad that you were knock up with some common sense like Doc."

"That's mighty nice of you, Randleman," Eugene said with a snort as he walked up in the suitcase, shaking his hand finally and Bull chuckled.

"Couldn't picture you with anyone else, Captain," Bull said to me as he finished shaking hands with my husband, in which I huffed.

"You still have to call me Captain?" I asked with almost a hint of annoyance.

"Of course, you saved my ass at last once in the war. Just go with it," He replied as he took the suitcase from Eugene, "Come on, my pop wants to meet you two. I told him plenty."

"Should we be worried?" Eugene asked in a snort as we followed him like obedient puppies. I watched the house, seeing how big with the wrap around porch and a bright red door against the wall panels and walls. It was a beautiful farm house for certain, a lot of love and care went into the place for certain.

"Of course not, Doc. He knows plenty about the men in Easy, and of Black Mamba too. In fact, he has plenty of questions to ask ya," He mentioned to me as we walked up the front porch. I grinned, seeing Eugene smile at me and lace our fingers together as we ascended the steps and followed Bull into his house.

* * *

"How's your back?" Eugene asked me in worry as we were sitting in the living room, having me smiled tenderly at him. It was later in the night, past dinner time and having a lengthy conversation with Bull and his father. Bull was talking to his father in the other room near the kitchen, the both of them were going over some business details and his father didn't want us to hear about since it was not polite.

His father was being the southern gentleman. He made sure I had enough tea to have me go to the restroom plenty of times, asked me the genuine questions as if I was dating his son and not married at all, and then he was inquisitive about Black Mamba in general. I could tell Bull was going to look just like his father when he was older in his years, the man had almost the same kind of stature and smile that his son wore all the time.

But I could also tell life was getting to him faster than we wanted: Bull was helping him out because of health reasons and he was moving slower. However, he never showed it in his speech and in how we would chat at the dinner table. He gave Eugene and I the spare guest room and reminded us over and over that, we could stay as long as we liked.

"It's fine, _Chere_. I just need to keep my legs up for a bit," I said to him calmly as he looked me over with his eyes. Since we found out I was pregnant, he made sure that I was comfortable and not pushing it, still working his medic mind from time to time with me.

The living room was beyond cozy, plenty of throw blanket for cold nights and the coffee table was filled with books and picture frames of the family, along with a few knick knacks from the farmhouse all over the fireplace mantle and on the walls. It was lovely to see the child-Bull in those pictures, smiling from ear to ear as he was either working on the farm or playing with some childhood friends. There was even one recent picture of him with some of the Easy members at Camp Toccoa, showing his youthfulness.

"I can't move from the couch to being with, I ate plenty of food that can last me for days," I joked with him, stretched out a bit while seeing him chuckle from my antics, "How much do you think we ate?"

"Too much, and with the drive, I know we're gonna have a good night's sleep for sure," He commented as he tried to hide a yawn from me, in which I finally gave him and rubbed his hair with my fingers. He leaned into it almost like a cat, having me giggle from how he was about to fall asleep when Bull and his father walked back into the room. Mr. Randleman was a bit slower than his son, but he was still grinning as he chuckled from seeing the both of us about to fall asleep on his couch.

"Well you two know you have a guest room that you can go sleep in if you want," He commented as we both looked over at him, "I don't want ya'll to sleep on this couch when there's a perfectly good bed waitin' for ya. Especially you since you're expectin'," He pointed to me now, having me blush a bit and Bull roll his eyes from his father.

"Pa, they'll be fine. We've slept in a foxhole for about a month, a couch won't kill 'em." He tried to reason.

"Well, this is no barn. They sleep on our beds, is that right, boy?" He asked Bull now, seeing him nod his head.

"Yes, sir," he replied obediently, "But I wanna show them somethin' before they hit the hay for the night. Don't worry, pop. I won't keep them out for long," Eugene and I perked up a bit as Bull walked over to the both of us, "You two brought coats? You don't mind the cold, do ya?"

"Yeah we brought coats, why do we need them?" I asked him as Eugene was helping me off from the couch with a hand on my lower back and holding my other hand.

"We're gonna go on a walk," he explained, his father starting to walk up the stairs, "Gonna show you the corn fields that we have goin' on,"

"Take a lantern in case it gets dark," His father called out from the stairs, "Y'all have a good night."

"Goodnight sir," Eugene and I said in unison to him as he disappeared into the second floor. Bull looked then at the both of us like he was a teenager waiting for his father to leave and no he had the moment to do so.

"I wanna show you somethin'."

* * *

"Wow,"

"Yeah, it's been a good while since I've seen these and I've missed them."

"We don't have these in Louisiana."

"That's right. These are Arkansas stars, boy."

We were standing together, shoulder to shoulder, in the middle of the cornfield outside of Bull's farmhouse as we were watching the sky above us. There were far too many stars, scattered everywhere along the dark blue canvas. The world around us was quiet, grasshoppers and a few crickets were heard in the field and a soft fall wind picked through from time to time, but everything else was still. I didn't want to move to break the spell that we were all under from the majesty of the night sky, it made me smile.

"Back in Berchtesgaden, there were a lot of stars that were out, reminded me of home," Bull explained as I snuggled into Eugene with his arm around me, "There wasn't another time where there were stars out like it was then by that lake. I didn't think I would miss home until then."

"They're beautiful here," I commented to him, seeing the stars and how they were making picture up in the sky for me to try and analyze.

"Yeah, I would spend every night out here since I came home to just watch the stars," Bull explained to me, having me look at him and watch him watch the sky. He wasn't the big Bull that I knew when he was looking up, he was more innocent and more vulnerable with his eyes scanning each stare and his stance was loose and comfortable. I smiled, bridging my arm around Eugene's waist and finally breathing him in from the cold that night.

War changes people inside and out: it can either make yuo bitter at the world and hating life because of what you went through, or it can change you for the better and see the world for the beauty that it is.

Bull chose the later, and I knew I was going to have to do the same.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The next Chapter is the Epilogue since I feel it's time to let this story end on a good night. Thanks for the reviews and support!


	40. Chapter 40

Late February 1947

"Well, it's official. I can't go to ballet anymore."

"That's not true and you know it,"

"I'm too damn big to even do one simple Plié."

My husband finally looked around the corner at me as I was looking at my own stomach in the mirror. I was due within a week, almost at any moment according to the doctor at my last checkup. everything was going smoothly with our pregnancy and there was no hitch or setback. We were just waiting now for the baby to come, and as my pregnancy was coming to an end, I was ready to have the baby and be done with the whole process.

I was ready to no longer look like a planet.

"What's a plié again?" He asked me in amusement, in which I looked at him with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh har har," I said back to him in a joking tone, seeing him chuckle before he leaned back over to where he was, "What are you workin' on anyways?"

"A letter to Major Winters. He's workin' with Captain Nixon in New Jersey and he met a woman named Ethel. I think he likes her," He explained to me as I ran one of my hands over my rather large stomach. I smiled at the thought of our old Major being smitten and in love.

"Sounds like it to me," I replied back to him as I walked over to where he was. Mostly walking but with an addition of waddling because of the new amount of weight I was carrying. I peeked over the corner and saw Eugene hunched over the desk we got from a friend, something we made into out "letter writing" station to stay in touch with the others.

On the wall, we added the letters from Black Mamba and Easy, seeing the different writings from the members and how they were moving on with their lives. Some were growing families with children, others were moving up in their jobs, and the rest were still trying to get by with some scars that were still there.

"Did you read the letter from Luz?" He asked as he was still writing his own letter to our old Major, "He's swooned too, some girl that's in the same town that he's in."

"I feel like we should warn her," I joked with him as I rubbed his hunched back while he was scribbling away. He leaned in barely but kept on going as I was scanning some of the letters on the wall. There were pictures attached to the letters: one of Joe and his new girl named Peggy against his cab, Webster on the Harvard campus with some books in hand, Shifty with his father on a hunting trip in Virginia after he was fully recovered, Harper and her newest husband that she met at school, Bull and his father out on the farm, and Talbert in some kind of backpacking adventure in the wild that he did with an old friend.

"Nah, she knows a bit too much about him. I think she likes him back," He explained in a low murmur.

"Shame," I voiced, "I wished I would have gotten some kind of warnin' about you."

"Mm?" He hummed.

"Yeah, someone should have told me that I was gonna fall for the silent one in Easy who would have healin' hands. But there was more to you," I explained, seeing him crack a grin and finally sit up in his chair, looking up at me and his smile making me warm all over.

"What gave me away?" He asked in a low rumble.

"Your spitfire personality," I replied without a second thought, seeing him crinkle up his nose and laugh. I had to laugh too, the both of us sharing a small moment together and then I felt a shift in my stomach. It was movement, I was used to the feeling and yet it still threw me off as I paused and rested mine against the spot where the baby moved. Eugene stopped too, instantly looking down and thinking the worst.

"I think our baby likes it when I laugh," I said to him, grabbing his hand and placing it right on the spot under my dress. I could feel the heat of his hand through the fabric, touching my skin and being hesitant on what he was going to feel. But the baby moved again, and his eyes went wide.

"Wow," He voiced, sounding shocked about it as he looked up at me, "What does it feel like?"

"The baby?" I asked, sounding surprised since he's never asked me that before, "Ummm... I guess…I dunno how to explain it. You remember when you jumped out of the carrier for the first time in training'?" he thought about it and nodded his head, "It's like that. But instead of feelin' breathless all over, I can only feel it there where the baby is. It's like you're fallin', but it's not scary. It's calmer and soothing…you know?"

"I think," he thought some more to himself and how that would fell and how that would relate to him, "Maybe she's tryin' to talk to you or something."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "She? You're still convinced that we're havin' a girl?"

"Hey, my Ma had a hunch that when she was pregnant with me she was gonna have a boy, and she was right," He explained, in which I snorted in a giggle from how serious he was talking about it. I leaned against the wall there next to desk as I was listening, "My Grandmere predicted she was going to have a girl, then she had my Ma. It's a gift in my family, take it or leave it."

"Well, I'm on the opposite side and I think we're gonna have a boy," I said it in my matter-of-fact tone, seeing him just give me a look like I was wrong.

"You're saying that out of spite," He said with caution, but I shook my head.

"Oh no, I know for a face that we're havin' a boy, " I replied with a grin. Thankfully, as if it was fate, the telephone rang and I moved away from my husband.

"I'll get it, you finish that letter to Dick and let him know that our son is gonna be here anytime," I reminded him.

"Whatever you say, Cher," He said in an amused tone as I walked to the telephone in the living room. I infamy grabbed the phone, holding it to my ear.

"Roe Residence,"

"Heya, Captain," It was Joe Liebgott, having me chuckle from hearing him on the other line.

"Hello, Liebgott. Good to hear ya," I said to him, leaning against the couch for a bit of support since my back was once again hurting from the added weight, "I was wondering when you were going to call one of these days.

"Eh, driving cabs isn't always peachy," He answered back to me, "Had to deal with some family stuff at home, you know? Got my own place."

"Good to hear," I replied, "Not about the family part, but still, glad to hear you're doing alright out there." I saw Eugene poked his head from around the corner, seeing him talk into the phone and a small look of concern on his face from what he was hearing. I just nodded my head at him. We both were a bit worried about Liebgott since, compared to the others that we would talk to, he was getting more and more distant. I didn't know if it was the demons, or what he saw in the camp two years ago, but he was still trying to find his way whether he liked it or not.

We just had to be supportive.

"You know me." He said in his chuckle, "I'm not gonna go down without a fight. It's just family stuff…I needed my own space and all of that,"

"I know about that Joe,"I reminded him, "Hell you're talkin' to the woman who basically was taking me out of her mother's will,"

"And I thought I had it bad," He said as a joke, making me have a small smile since he would always make something bad seem okay, "It's harder….they don't know what I went through over there….what I saw in those camps. I still see their faces, Captain…all of them in there."

"Joe," I started, taking my own deep breath, "I'm sayin' this out of both experience and for the sake of our friendship….don't push your family away. It's temptin' to do it but don't. You can rely on Easy Company for a lot of things, but family is just as important, if not more." I felt like I was talking him off the side of a cliff before he was about to jump, and yet I was worried still since it was such a simple thought for him to just keep his family close. I wish I did, and things would have been better in the long run for me. But since I knew what happened because I didn't, I didn't want Joe to fall into the same trap.

"I know, Captain," he replied calmly on the other end, "Hey when I get my place all down you and Doc can come over and see it."

"That would be nice, unless you won't mind a little baby coming along," I advised him.

"Eh, I'm used to kids by now, I'm a great Uncle. Bring the squirt along," He replied smoothly.

"I don't think I like you callin' my unborn child a squirt," I said in a hesitated tone, in which he chuckled loudly on the other end,

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" He asked, having me huff.

"No,"

"Then squirt it is,"

* * *

My water broke in the early hours of the morning.

Joe was on his way over to have a visit with us. He needed to have a break from his family, and I ended our talk on the phone with an invitation for him to come out for a few days. Eugene thought it was a good idea, the last time he was here was over a year ago when we barely got our hands on our house. But it felt like he needed to have another visit under his belt, and we were more than willing to have him over. He reassured the both of us he was going to come on the train and he would arrive late in the morning, stay a night or two and then head home, so it was a perfect time for the baby to come.

It came out of nowhere, in which I woke up to another round of nightmares that were harming me again. I knew those nightmares were going to come in waves, yet they weren't as tough and intense as they were before. It might have been because I was pregnant and my moods were going back and forth, yet I rolled through those nights when my due date was coming close. I wondered if there was going to be a stop to all of this, and I could kind of feel what Liebgott was going through in California.

I got up from the bed and walked over to the kitchen from the bedroom, the crisp air coming in the window and giving the house a cool chill. I needed a drink of water to calm myself down mostly, and I was beyond thirsty. I would blame the baby, and yet I didn't have the heart to do such a thing. I haven't seen the kid yet but I was falling hard for the baby.

Never thought that would happen.

Waddling into the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of water using the sink faucet and a spare glass to drink out of it. I sighed in happiness with cool water going down my throat, finally looking down at my rather large belly, grinning from ear to ear now how I was just content where I was in this state of life. I didn't mind I was alone there at about 2 in the morning, it made me sit down in the chair at the kitchen table.

"Well, kid, I hope you know what you're gettin' yourself into," I said to my stomach, mostly in a hushed tone within the silence of the room, "But I want you to know I love you, and I haven't even met ya met. That's weird huh?" I grinned, tapping the top of my belly in hopes that I would feel something. The baby was probably was asleep.

"I promise to be a good mom to you, better than your grandmother I suppose. I'll do the best I can, and you already have a fantastic father who loves you to the moon and back. I'll protect ya from anything that'll hurt ya, and I do mean that. Just know that you have a family bigger than me and your father, plenty of Uncles and Aunts that will protect you. I'll tell you about them one day: how I met them and fought a bunch of bad guys, and how I met your father. You'll like that story, I promise,"

Talking to my unborn baby in my belly would be in odd enough for anyone else, but I wasn't caring. I was only thinking about the new chapter that was about to unfold. I felt ashamed that at first I was scared that I was going to be a mother. Such a selfish thing to not want a baby, and yet it was changing in due time. I was going away from the selfish fear that was once there and the selfishness love that I never thought I would experience in my life was blossoming like a flower in my chest. Never seeing the baby's face yet, but I knew I would take on anyone or anything that would hurt him or her.

Finally, I got up from my spot at the chair to move back over to the bedroom, turning around and seeing Eugene wide awake. He was waiting for me at the open archway into the bedroom, looking rather sleepy but none of the less watching me with curious eyes now. Did he see me talk to my belly, the whole time? I wanted to see a bit shy about it, but the small smile on his face was enough for me to not care. If he didn't care, why would I?

But his eyes weren't back to being concerned again, looking down at my feet as I suddenly feeling a rush of water somehow going down my legs. I heard it splatter the floor, hitting my bare feet and almost having me lose my breath. We both saw the water hit the floor, and I finally looked up at my husband now, seeing him with his wide eyes trained on me. I could only say tow words from my quivering mouth.

"Oh shit."

* * *

Eugene's POV

I was tapping my foot so fast I felt like my foot was going to fall off, but I couldn't stay still. My mind was on overdrive and my own heart was heavy with worry as I was in the waiting room, Olive in the delivery room and she was giving birth to our first child. I was thinking about Olive, then thinking about the baby, and as I was thinking about them both, I felt like my head was about to explode.

What if something happens?

Once we got to the hospital, I made plenty of phone calls in the wee hours of the morning. The first was to my folks, who both reassured me that she was going to be fine and they were going to come over first thing in the morning. Then I called my father-in-law, hearing him sound sleepy and yet excited at the same time. He was going to tell my sister-in-law and her husband in the morning as well since we knew the baby was not going to on sooner. Lastly, I called O'Neal from the number she left us. She gave us instructions to call her when Olive would go into labor, and I hoped that I made the right call in the early hours as I looked at the number on the paper. Thankfully she was on board when I told her, instantly sounding wide awake.

"Tell her I'm coming right now. I'm gonna tell rest of the girls!"

I sat there for the rest of the early morning, being the only one there in that waiting room and just keeping my mind going to and fro from one scare to another. I even fell asleep, waking up at around 9 am in a jolt. Did I miss it? Why would I miss it when they would have shaken me awake and told me, that or something else went wrong. But when I woke up, I only saw a few more people there in the waiting room as I was propped up on the couch and I was using my jacket as a pillow.

"Sir," I woke up a bit more now to see one of the nurses coming over to me. I instantly jumped up from the couch, almost losing my feeling in my legs from being asleep for almost 6 hours. I rubbed my eyes awake as she gave me a small smile.

"Your wife is doing just fine. She's not pushing yet, but I'm just letting you know that she's okay and it's going to start pretty soon," She explained to me, having me nod my head to show I was listening, "You made phone calls already?"

"Yes, ma'am," I answered, "Her folks and my folks are gonna come within the next hour or so."

"Good, go get something to eat if you can. When she's gonna push, I'll let you know. We have a cafeteria across the hall for you to grab some breakfast,"

"Thanks," I replied, "Can you….can ya let me know if she's okay?" I know I must have sounded pathetic asking that, but not seeing Olive and checking on her was having me be on end. She nodded her head, seeing my face and how I was trying to hold myself together.

"Of course, Mr. Roe," She reassured me. Finally, the nurse gave me one last smile before she turned on her heel and walked back over to the delivery room. At least I didn't miss it, and I sighed to rub my face one more time before I noticed the clock on the wall near one of the paintings. I cringed, grabbing my jacket from the couch.

Liebgott's at the train station.

* * *

"We're gettin' you some coffee," Joe explained as he was now the one driving my truck from the train station over to the hospital on the other side of town. As soon as I parked the truck there in the lot by the train station, Joe walked up with a big grin on his face and his suitcase in hand. But I had to tell him where we were going since he got a clue as to why Olive wasn't with me. He instantly got into the front driver's seat, having me sit on the passenger's side and he took off with the truck without a second thought. I told him how to get there, and the rest was of him driving like he was in one of his cabs in San Francisco.

"And some food in your stomach, you need energy before the kid comes," He explained as he drove down the street, foot down on the heavy pedal and a dangerous look in his eyes. I think I would have seen that once or twice back when we were int he war.

"I'm not hungry," I explained, but he shook his head.

"You still need something in your stomach or else you're gonna feel like shit. I went through the ringer with my sisters and their kids: you need the energy more than you think," He explained as he huffed a bit, almost bouncing in his seat now as his hands were on the steering wheel in a death grip, "No offense Doc, but couldn't your kid wait until I'm at least not tired from the fucking train."

"I did warn about you coming and how you're gonna be there Godfather. Maybe that's why they wanted to come early," I explained as I scratched the back of my neck. Joe looked over at me with wide eyes for a plait second before he looked back on the road: the news of his new title was a bit shocking.

"Holy shit, Doc. Really?" He asked almost in a high-pitched squeak. I chuckled.

"Yeah. Olive was gonna tell ya when you got here, but given the circumstances," I answered, "Anywho, we both thought you were a good guy to be the Godfather."

"Not that I'm not flattered," He started to say in almost a stammer, having me now gaze at him and almost a hint of worry and some sad look on his face now as he was rethinking this new title he had on him with my wife and me, "But….I don't know….shit. You think that's a good choice, for me to be the Godfather for this kid?"

"What makes you think you wouldn't be a good Godfather?" I asked him back in almost a challenge. He said nothing, making me think that I stumped him than on what I said and how I said it to him. It made me wonder where he was in his brain if he thought himself as good enough anyhow. With all the stuff he was going through at him and how he was still almost trying to find himself again. I felt it too, but Joe was still searching.

"Joe, I know I didn't get to know ya a whole lot while we were servin' together, but I do know you're a good guy," I explained, trying to calm my own self down since we were on our way to the hospital, "You were a good soldier, and a good friend to Olive when she needed one. You'd take a bullet for someone in Easy and not think twice. Plus, you kind of grew on me."

"Wow, you butterin' me up for something?" He asked me in an amused tone.

"I think," I replied with a shrug of my shoulders, "Look, Olive and I talked about it and, knowing how'd you take care of her and help her in anything, we both didn't hesitate. But hey, you don't have'ta if you don't wanna," I didn't know what Joe was thinking, and I was afraid to know what he was thinking. We didn't get close through the war, he had his own friends and I was more of a solitude kind of soldier, and now I was considering him to be the Godfather of my child. If Olive wasn't in the picture, I wouldn't have considered it. But he knew Olive, and she knew him and cared about him.

"Doc," He finally said, having me snap my mind back from my normal thoughts that were flowing around in my head like a hive. Looking at him as we were getting closer to the hospital, I saw him looked more somber about this conversation than he did before when he was shocked by the news that was thrown on his lap. When he looked over briefly without tearing his eyes off the road, he eyes were looking content, almost on the brink of tears really and he was trying to hold it together.

"I'll do it," He replied simply, having me grin at him as he was staring at the road again, but this time he had a small smile on his lips. I hummed in agreement, smiling since this was one of the longest conversations that we have ever had just the two of us. Such an odd thing to feel and yet such an important topic. It felt like we were turning a new leaf: myself becoming a father and Joe getting more acceptance from someone outside his family.

It felt good and calm.

We both rushed into the waiting room after Joe almost missed the parking spot that I had before and slammed my truck into the bush in front of it. I glared at him as he shut the engine off, seeing him throw up his hands in case I was already gonna kill him and he showed me his infamous grin. After I rolled my eyes we finally made it into the hospital again and I rushed over to the nurse at the nurse's station.

"I'm Olivia Roe's husband," I said to her as she saw me approach her.

"Let me get your nurse. Your wife's doctor is about to go in and check in on her," She explained as she got up from her chair and walked over to Olive's room. I nodded, watching her rush over and I heard Joe sighed in relief, leaning against the counter and look around at the other people in the room. I watched him, seeing how he felt like a fish out of water.

"God, I could kill for a cigarette," He mumbled as he was tapping his fingers against his jacket.

"Who's havin' the kid, Liebgott? You or me?" I asked in a grumble as he rolled his eyes.

"Your wife is, technically. Besides, hospitals make me nervous," he said to me with a snort as he looked over to the hallway where Olive's room was. He then tapped me on the shoulder, which made me whirl around just in time to see the nurse for Olive walk up.

"Okay, the Doctor is telling me that she's coming along just fine and it could be any moment now," She explained, then looked over my shoulder at Joe with a raised eyebrow,"Is he family?"

"He's gonna be the Godfather," I explained, Joe waving.

"Hey there," He replied in a snark, the nurse giving him a small smile and then focusing back on me.

"Right. Well, if the Doctors gives the green light, she's gonna start pushing, just so you know," She ended with me, having me give her a reassign smile to show the I was thankful we had her in our corner. She walked back over to the room, a Doctor making his way over as well and they both rushed into the room. I felt paralyzed since half of me wanted to go in there and at least hold her hand. Was she in a lot of pf pain? Did she need anything from me? Why did I feel powerful to ease her?

"You wait here," Joe said to me from behind me, "I'll get us some coffee and some grub. Where's the cafeteria?"

"Down the hall on the right side," I replied to him without moving my eyes or my head away from the door. Joe tapped me on the shoulder to get his attention, making em finally tear my eyes away and look at him directly. He had me face him, away from Olive's room and he placed both of his hands on my shoulders.

"You're gonna be fine, Doc. She's gonna be fine, and pretty soon you're gonna be a dad. Take that in," He said softly yet in his gruff manner. I sighed, nodding my head and he grinned. He was trying to get me back into my own head and not overthink all of this: make this simple. Of course, my mind would run all over the place, different things at the same time, and there Joe was making it pure and simple.

"Stay here and grab a seat. I'll take care of the food and coffee, okay? For once, let someone else take care of things around here, okay Doc?" He asked finally, my eyes scanning him. He wouldn't lie to me at a time like this, I knew that. Now I had to let that be my new reality and just let things happen out of my control. I nodded, seeing him smile widely as he slapped my shoulder and started walking to the cafeteria, leaving me there in the middle of the waiting room.

* * *

Olivia's POV

I gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

She came into the world with only a whimper on her lips, not wailing as other babies would do. Of course, that could be a bad sign for the doctor, since they whisked her away from me as soon as they could. I was too tired and delirious to call out to them to bring her back since I wanted to see her face and make sure she was okay. It made me panic, yet the nurse who was there with me the whole time saw my panic and look of pain when the doctor took her out of the room.

"They're gonna look her over and check her to see if she's okay," She reassured me in her calm tone, my wide eyes on the door where the doctor walked through with my baby in his arms. I didn't like being away from her, second of just knowing she was in the world and now she was in another room, the gut feeling that I had to protect her was now in jeopardy.

The minutes went by, they seemed like ages and ages as they were cleaning me up and getting me back to normal again. I didn't care how I looked, all I wanted was my daughter and it was about to make me go back into Captain mode. The nurse stayed with me, thinking that if I could I would have left the bed to march over to the doctor in order to get my baby. I wasn't going to, but the longer they took to bring her back. I tried not to cry, nor did I try not to scream at them and ask what was wrong with her. Was she already in trouble?

Finally, after a few moments, they let Eugene into the room. He walked right over to me now and saw the look of pain on my face and he thought of the worst. I could see his eyes looked around to see what was going on and the obvious fact that there was no baby.

"They took her back to check on her," I explained to him as he gave me a small hug, thinking that he was going to hurt me, "I don't know if something is wrong with her," He looked at me in shock, a small look of relief on his face when he heard it was a girl.

"A girl?" He asked in a huff, "Really?!"

"Not a good time, sweetheart," I reminded him.

"Yeah well, Joe's out in the waiting room with both of our folks, entertaining them with war stories," He explained to me, having me chuckle a bit for the first time in hours since we got to the hospital.

"Did you tell him about our news?" I asked in hope.

"I did, and he's gonna do it," I sighed in relief when he told me, Eugene lacing our fingers together, "I think he took it well."

"Good," I huffed in relief, "I couldn't think of anyone else to be our daughter's godfather." I explained calmly now, already getting that agitation again as I breathed nervously, "I just want her here."

"They're just checking her and makin' sure she's perfect, Cher. You know that" He reminded me, "I bet you she has your hair."

"Naw, I want her to have your hair," I countered, reaching up to touch his jet black hair with my frail hand, "and I bet she has your smile too."

"She's already healthy and perfect in my eyes, that's all I want,"

"You haven't seen her yet," I argued though it came out as a chuckle.

"I don't need to see her to know that she'll be okay," He replied to me as he leaned over to kiss my sweaty hair. I sighed as he leaned in close, catching his shirt to keep him there since I felt like he too would leave me alone. We both heard the door open, both of our heads snapping over and seeing the doctor walking back in, a bundle in his arms. I smiled widely, seeing the dark head of hair at the top of the blanket.

"She's perfectly healthy," The doctor explained, Eugene moving away for the doctor to place her in my arms. I took her within an instant, looking down at the perfect baby that I was waiting for. She had a small enough nose, pointy with a hint of red, large cheeks and smooth skin. Her hair was, in fact, dark, mopped on the top of her head and she was already yawning. She was beyond perfect, our Angel.

"Since she didn't cry out when she was born, I was afraid that something happened to her lungs and her breathing was shallow. But I checked her over and nothing looked serious: she's just a quiet one." The doctor informed us, having me grin and look at Eugene. He was enraptured with his daughter, not breaking his eyes away and almost having a tear in his eye.

"She got that from you, you know," I advised him. He chuckled, finally looking over at me and having me see that he was on the brink of tears from all that happened. We were our own little family, and that's all we needed.

The three of us against the world.

* * *

I didn't know when I fell asleep, but when I opened my eyes it was deep within the night, the room was dim and yet soothing and warm from where I was laying in the bed. I wondered what time it was, but my thoughts were silenced when I heard the soft sounds of singing. It was on my left over by the baby's cot that they placed her in for me to sleep, but it was empty. Where was she?

After I adjusted my eyes, I saw Eugene standing up and holding our baby against his chest, having me hear her gurgle a bit as he was pacing the room slowly and singing to her quietly. I didn't know what he was singing, but I could tell it was working since she was getting sleepy once more. Eugene was holding her with such care and protection, her tiny body in his massive hands and arms made her seem so fragile and fall. In that moment I didn't want to fall asleep again. I only wanted to watch the both of them have their moment to just imprint and connect together.

We named her Wendy Josephine Roe.

* * *

4 Years Later.

A chorus of giggling was heard from the backyard, making me pause from washing the dishes in the kitchen sink to look outside. It was a warm summer evening, the sun was about to finally set for the day and Wendy was outside playing in the grassy field that we had near our garden. She was running at full speed, her cotton dress that came to her knees which gave her more freedom to move around and her black hair flowing behind her in the wind. Her father was running after her, scooping her up and planting kisses all over her face as she squealed in delight. It made me grin to see the both of them having time together since Eugene was working constantly at his construction job.

He never complained about it, not with the long hours and plenty of time in the hot sun, but I could tell there were days that he was exhausted. Yet he didn't show it when Wendy would run to him as he got out of the truck. He would scoop her close, plant a big kiss and not let her go.

She had plenty of Eugene within her.

She was kind, kind to anything and anyone. I knew she had a tender heart, especially for animals and other things. That I knew came from the both of us since we would take her out into the parks and sometimes near the bayou. She got to experience plenty of things that I never got to do when I as her age, and I wanted it that way. Naturally, she took to gardening like a fish to water, and also with ballet. I think it was the plenty of times I took her to the studio as I would dance, she saw and wanted to copy her mommy. Now she goes to class twice a week and so far, she's a natural.

If she got my ballet ability, she got Eugene's kind heart and thirst for helping others. She loved helping around the house, helping her grandparents and if would visit their place and her other grandfather when he would visit. She had that need to serve was within her, which made me feel as though we didn't deserve her.

Wendy also loved her Godfather. She would watch Joe with wide eyes when he would visit at least twice a year and we would go out to see him the other two times. She was one of the lower girls in his wedding when he got married to Peggy. After he found out he was going to be a father shortly after, Eugene and I were proclaimed the Godparents for their first kid. We thought that would be fair, and he was beyond good with Wendy. Even treating her like she was his own, and I knew that was going place him back on the right track.

"Papa! Papa!" She said in a giggle as Eugene carried her over to the garden, still in his work uniform and he was showing her some of the food we were growing. I caught him looking up and over in my direction, smiling at me and then giving me a wink in his eye. Our lives were still getting started, even after being in the war and being both the best and the worst of humanity within those years. I was glad I went to the war because I got more out of it than I thought. I inherited good friends whom I knew I could go to in times of trouble, a new boost of morale that I grew on my own.

Lastly, I gained a love that I knew was never going to break. All in the form of a medic.


End file.
